Raha
The Lebanese sweet houses make raha in rose, mastic and lemon, cut from trays and dusted, sold by the kilo and boxed for the holidays. It is the same family as lokum and it is not the product we sell; we do not compete with the local makers and we do not name them. What they show an importer is that the product has a home in the country, and that the home pays for quality. The two sit side by side in the same sweet shop without argument: the local raha for the ones who grew up on it, the Gaziantep roll for the ones who want the pistachio.
The lokum from Gaziantep
Starch-set cubes dusted with sugar or coconut, rose, lemon and pomegranate, the Gaziantep finger roll filled with whole pistachio and coated in coconut or kadayif, and chocolate covered pieces for the confectionery case. Made in Gaziantep, boxed for retail or cut in bulk for the counter. The pistachio roll is the line Lebanon asks for first, because the pistachio is the one thing the local raha does not have in that quantity. The Turkish delight page lists the groups and the Turkish delight explained article covers the recipe.
Which lokum for which shelf
The dusted cube in a printed box is the gift line, for the delicatessen, the airport and the holiday table; the pistachio roll cut to order is the counter line, for the sweet shop and the supermarket deli; the chocolate covered piece belongs with the chocolate, in the confectionery case next to the dragées. An importer usually starts with the box, because it needs no handling, and adds the roll when a counter customer asks for it. The offer states the format, the case weight and the shelf life we declare for each line.
The route into the country
Plain lokum travels dry all year; the chocolate covered pieces go in the reefer with the chocolate lines in the warm months. Arabic goes on the label with the ingredients, the net weight, the dates and the importer’s name; our certificates and analysis report travel per line. The unit of sale is one mixed container, so Turkish delight travels on its own pallet next to chocolate, dragées and sweets rather than as a full load.
What to send first
The lines from the chocolate page, the dragée page and the Turkish delight page, the quantity per line, the port, Beirut or Tripoli, and whether any line carries your own brand. The written offer follows within two working days, in US dollars; the samples page explains how to taste the lines first, and the Lebanon page lists what stays the same on every offer.
Every line here is made in our own factory at Başpınar OSB, Gaziantep — a 10,000 m² site, exporting since 2002 — and certificate copies are available on request.
Is the Turkish delight the real lokum?
Yes: starch-set lokum made in Gaziantep, dusted cubes and the pistachio roll. Lebanon knows it as raha; the box says Turkish delight and lokum.
Does Turkish delight need a reefer?
Plain lines travel dry all year. Chocolate covered pieces travel in the reefer with the chocolate lines in the warm months.
Can it carry our brand?
Yes, on selected lines: retail boxes and jars under your name, with the label content prepared with Arabic.
