Having studied in Istanbul I had the pleasure of trying out many Turkish street foods. It gave me a priceless experience with the cheap, quick and delicious delights of Istanbul’s streets – Though how healthy that was in the long run is debatable! We have written about street food extensively here before, but the desserts weren’t featured as much. We enjoy a great variety here – stuff like cotton candy is a popular street food here as well – but I want to focus on the stuff you can't find elsewhere easily. So here is a small selection of popular Turkish desserts.

Lokma, tulumba and halka

Why pair these three together? Because, in the end, they are essentially the same – aside from their shape that is. Do you know churros? Add simple syrup to it, with a dash of lemon and you get yourself the tulumba and halka desserts. The tulumba is like a short churro with riffles all around it. Halka means "ring" in Turkish, and as the name suggests is in the shape of a ring. The tulumba version is usually sold in a small cup in portions while the halka is directly given into your hand, usually with a piece of paper to prevent your hands from getting all sticky.

The lokma is close to these, but are small balls with a long tradition of being made freshly and given out as treats after funerals and other occasions. In the last few years, they gained wide popularity with shops popping up offering this syrupy treat with chocolate and a wide variety of toppings.

Tulumba

With a star pipe nozzle, you can make this look as authentic as it can be! The first few ones might not look on point, but practice makes perfect.

Ingredients

For the dough