6 Turkish Desserts That Are Sure To Sweeten Your Vacation

1. Let Turkish Baklava Pastries Melt In Your Mouth

There are records of pastry desserts similar to baklava in Assyrian texts dating back as far as 800 B.C., and the version we enjoy today dates back to around 1500, when Armenian explorers ‘discovered’ it at the edge of what was then the Ottoman Empire. In the centuries since, baklava, which layers crushed nuts and honey syrup between crispy sheets of phyllo dough, often topped with chopped pistachios for extra crunch, has become the most famous Turkish pastry dessert.

My personal favorite memory of enjoying this Turkish sweet took place in Konya, a city in central Turkey best known as being where Rumi (a poet whose quotes you may see attached to memes, often inaccurately attributed) lived out his later life. After visiting the Mevlana Museum and learning about Sufism, the esoteric aspect of Islam to which Rumi devoted himself, the sprinkling of pistachios atop a tray of especially tasty-looking baklava called my name — and I answered.

2. Sink Your Teeth Into Turkish Delight Sweets

Compared to some of the other items on this list, traditional Turkish delight is relatively new, having come into existence in the 18th century. The name "Turkish delight" is among the most ubiquitous phrases related to Turkish sweets. Served in small, colorful cubes and usually dusted in powdered sugar, Turkish delight (or Turkish lokum) is a gelatinous mix of water and sugar, traditionally flavored simply with rosewater.

If you're in Istanbul, the best Turkish delight shops are the open-air ones inside the Spice Bazaar, where stacks of desserts are lined up in a rainbow of colors and flavors like pomegranate, mint and pistachio. Venture a bit deeper into Sultanahmet, near the Blue Mosque, to some of the fancier cafés where you can enjoy them served alongside a strong, thick Turkish coffee. The immediate, fast-dissolving sweetness of a Turkish delight is the perfect foil to the slightly bitter bite of the coffee.

3. Have the Dondurma Mastic Ice Cream Experience

Dondurma is a thick, mastic Turkish ice cream made from goat's milk. It can be found on every street corner in Istanbul (and various medium- to large-sized cities). It's one of the Turkish desserts you can enjoy on the go, rather than sitting down in a cafe. If you've ever walked down Istanbul's Istiklal pedestrian street, you know that the experience of getting dondurma is multi-sensory.

The street vendor performs while scooping the dondurma into a cone, especially when the customers are children. Often, they'll use the long-sticked scoop to toss the ice cream up into the air or to jokingly rip the cone away just as you're about to grab it.

Here's a tip: If you have a child, let them watch someone else get their ice cream first so they don't genuinely think they're being tricked when it's their turn.

4. Save Room for Sutlac (Turkish Rice Pudding)

For most people, rice pudding might not sound like a show-stopping dessert — or it might not sound like a dessert at all. In this part of the world, this specialized rice pudding is revered as one of the most loved Turkish bakes, known as “sütlaç”. Much like Turkish food, sutlac is simple, using only water, sugar, flour, milk and, of course, rice as its main ingredients. It's traditionally flavored with rosewater or vanilla, and then browned and broiled to perfection.

If you enjoy this Turkish sweet in a restaurant, you may find it served decoratively, topped with chopped hazelnuts, dusted with fine cinnamon powder or even dressed up with dried rose petals. This rich dessert, which is especially satisfying on a cold, winter night before a morning balloon flight over Cappadocia, packs a delicious punch.

5. Sample Pismaniye, the Turkish Cotton Candy

Pismaniye is sometimes known as Turkish cotton candy, on account of its stringy texture, it's made and served quite differently from the American version. To form the pieces, which are usually a bit larger than bite-sized, the person making Turkish “pişmaniye” roasts flour in butter, which they then blend into melted sugar that's been cooled and pulled. Dating back to approximately the 15th century, pismaniye (which has the same linguistic origin as the Turkish word for "pashmina") is a time-honored tradition.

It can be a bit harder to find shops that specialize strictly in freshly made pismaniye than it is to find bakeries selling baklava or Turkish delights. As such, try a few local convenience stores and supermarkets where its availability increases when prepackaged.

6. Test Your Taste Buds With Turkish Sweets Like Tulumba

Tulumba might remind you of treats you've enjoyed elsewhere, thanks to its resemblance to churros. Broadly speaking, this fried dough is essentially a donut. Some tourists compare it to Indian sweet gulab jamun because of the honey syrup it swims in and how it softens, almost liquefying its interior. Forget about eating tulumba with moderation in mind; it’s too easy to scoff down.

Officially, tulumba — which means "pump," as in pumping your mouth and belly full of sweet goodness — originated in the Ottoman Empire, like the other desserts on this list. Beyond comparisons to Indian cuisine, you can also find similar dishes in Persian and Balkan cuisine. Of course, who invented tulumba is less important than the impact it has, which is to delight your taste buds to the point of not wanting to leave Turkey.

Pair Your Dessert Experience With Turkish Coffee and Tea

Turkish desserts are as pivotal to the experience of traveling in Turkey as a cruise through the Bosphorus Strait that separates Asia from Europe. In Istanbul, follow up a tour of the Grand Bazaar with delicate Turkish delights washed down with a rich cup of Turkish coffee. Or, visit a smaller city like Konya, and duck into a side-street baklava shop, pairing your dessert with the complex taste of Turkish tea.

Not planning a trip to Turkey immediately? Not to worry! Whether you visit your nearest Turkish restaurant or want to add pismaniye or tulumba to your travel vision board, there's no downside to dreaming of Turkish sweets — except that it may make you extremely hungry.