Turkish delight in Ireland: the bar, the Cork maker, and the lokum from Gaziantep

The bar

For most people in Ireland the words mean a British chocolate bar with a soft rose centre, sold in every shop and in most Christmas selection boxes. It is a confection with a Turkish name and it is not lokum; we do not sell it, and a bar format is sourced on request for an importer who wants one next to the real thing.

The Cork maker

Ireland has something most markets do not: a heritage Turkish delight maker in Cork with its own following, whose boxes are the reason the Cork searches exist. We do not name it; the trade knows it. What it shows an importer is that Irish shoppers already know what real Turkish delight is, and already pay for it, which is the hardest part of any new line done.

The lokum

Starch-set cubes dusted with sugar or coconut, rose, lemon and pomegranate, the Gaziantep finger roll filled with whole pistachio, and chocolate covered pieces for the confectionery case. Made in Gaziantep, boxed for retail or cut in bulk for the counter. The Turkish delight page lists the groups and the Turkish delight explained article covers the recipe.

Which lokum for which shelf

Not every lokum goes on the same shelf. The dusted cube in a printed box is the gift line, for delicatessens, the airport and the Christmas table; the pistachio roll cut to order is the counter line, for the market stall and the deli case; 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. The goods travel with an A.TR movement certificate under the customs union, the label follows the EU food information rules, and the importer is registered as a food business. 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, Dublin or Cork, and whether any line carries your own brand. The written offer follows within two working days, in US dollars and the A.TR paperwork listed; the samples page explains how to taste the lines first, and the Ireland 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.