The bar
For most New Zealanders the words mean a British chocolate bar with a soft rose centre, sold in every dairy. 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 local makers
New Zealand has small makers producing Turkish delight by hand, some for decades, sold at markets, in delicatessens and online, and the searches for the best and the most authentic are largely searches for them. We do not name them; the trade knows them. What they show an importer is that the product has a following in the country, and that the following pays for quality.
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, airport shops 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. Nuts and dried fruit in a line bring the biosecurity conditions with them, and the importer checks them per line from the data sheet before ordering. The label follows the Food Standards Code. The unit of sale is one mixed container, so Turkish delight travels on its own pallet next to chocolate, dragées and lollies 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, Auckland, Tauranga or Lyttelton, and whether any line carries your own brand. The written offer follows within two working days, in US dollars and the technical data sheets the biosecurity check needs; the samples page explains how to taste the lines first, and the New Zealand 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.
Does Turkish delight need a reefer?
Plain lines travel dry all year. Chocolate covered pieces travel in the reefer with the chocolate lines.
Can it carry our brand?
Yes, on selected lines: retail boxes and jars under your name, with the label content prepared to the Food Standards Code.
