 | |
| Alternative names | Loukoumas, loukoumades, luqma crispella[1] |
|---|---|
| Type | Fried dough |
| Place of origin | Mesopotamia |
| Main ingredients | Yeast-leaveneddough, oil,sugar syrup or honey |
| Variations | ZalabiyehOwaymatEnkrides |
Lokma is adessert made ofleavened anddeep-fried dough balls, soaked in syrup or honey, sometimes coated withcinnamon or other ingredients. The dish was described as early as the 13th century byal-Baghdadi asluqmat al-qādi (لُقْمَةُ ٱلْقَاضِيِ), "judge's morsels".[2][3][4]
TheArabic wordluqma (لُقْمَةٌ) (pluralluqmāt), meansmorsel,mouthful, orbite.[5][6] The dish was known asluqmat al-qādi (لُقْمَةُ ٱلْقَاضِيِ) or "judge's morsels" in 13th-century Arabic cookery books,[2] and the wordluqma orloqma by itself has come to refer to it.[5] TheTurkish name for the dish,lokma, is derived from the Arabic,[6] as is the Greek nameloukoumádes (λουκουμάδες).[2]
The recipe forluqmat al-qadi, yeast-leavened dough boiled in oil and doused in honey or sugar syrup withrosewater, dates back to at least the earlymedieval period and the 13th-centuryAbbasid Caliphate, where it is mentioned in several known cookery books of the time. It is also mentioned in theOne Thousand and One Nights, in the storyThe Porter and the Three Ladies of Baghdad.[2][4] The explorer and scholarIbn Battuta in the 14th century encountered the dish he knew asluqaymat al-qadi at a dinner inMultan (modern-day Pakistan) during his travels inmedieval India, where his hosts called ital-hashimi.[4]
The thick and smooth yeast batter rises and has a very soft and foamy consistency. The batter is usually dropped into hot oil and fried to a golden brown color, but some are doughnut-shaped. Lokma are served with honey and, occasionally, cinnamon.[7]
Traditionally, the batter was leavened with yeast but modern variations sometimes use baking powder.[8]
Today, inIraq, it is calledlokma orluqaymat (diminutive plural ofluqma lit. 'small bites'), and they differ both in size and taste across the country. While inArab countries of the Persian Gulf,lugaimat, sometimes spiced with cardamom or saffron, are little changed from the 13th-century recipes,[4] in parts of the Middle East they may also be calledawameh (عوامة), meaning "floater", orzalabya (زلابيا), with numerous spelling variations, though the latter term may also refer to asimilar dish made in a long spiral or straight baton shape.[9][10][11] They are traditionally included in times of religious observances; for example in theLevant by Muslims atRamadan, Jews atHanukkah, and Christians atEpiphany alike.[8][9][11]
The pastry is calledloukoumádes (λουκουμάδες) andlokmádes (λοκμάδες) inCypriot Greek. They are commonly served spiced with cinnamon in a honey syrup and can be sprinkled lightly with powdered sugar.
The dish calledloukoumádes (λουκουμάδες) is a mainstay of Greek cooking, in particular in the south of Greece, and is a popular street food served with any combination of honey, cinnamon, walnuts and chocolate sauce.
There is evidence that loukoumades originated from "enkrides", a dough fried in oil and enjoyed with honey in Ancient Greece.[12] This treat continued to be popular in the Byzantine era, particularly during Lent, as the absence of dairy or meat meant that it met the requirements of Orthodox fasting (Greek: νήστεις, nēsteis).[13]
References to deep fried donuts soaked in honey syrup, called "enkrides" (Greek: ἐγκρίς, plural ἐγκρίδες), are found in several Ancient Greek texts including works byArchestratus,Aeschylus,Steischorus,Epicharmus, Nikophon,Aristophanes andPherecrates.[12][14][15] InThe Deipnosophists,Athenaeus describes enkrides as "cakes boiled in oil" and "seasoned in honey".[14][16]
Loukoumades have also been likened to "charisioi" (Ancient Greek: χᾰρῑ́σῐοι) .[12] They were said to be given as prizes atancient drinking games .[17]Aristophanes andEubulus both describe charisios as "grace" or "joy" cakes (from the Greek word χαρά meaning joy), enjoyed at nocturnal festivals called "pannichis" (Greek: Παννυχίς).[18] The recipe for charisios has not been recorded.
In the Byzantine period, enkrides, or loukoumades, were popular during Lent. As a sweet treat made with only flour, yeast and water, and sweetened with honey, they met the requirements of Orthodox fasting and were also popular in monasteries.[13][19] Along with halva, they are considered an example of the creative inventiveness of Orthodox Christians in this period.[13][19]
This term was also used by theRomaniotes (Greek Jews) as the name for loukoumades,[20] who call themzvingoi (σβίγγοι) and make them asHanukkah treats.[20][21]
Pontic Greeks who migrated from the Black Sea as a result of theLausanne Conference call themtsirichta (τσιριχτά).[22]Tsirichta are served at Pontian weddings.[23][24]
There are different types of lokma in Turkey. Dessert lokma are made with flour, sugar, yeast and salt, fried in oil and later bathed in syrup or honey. In some regions of Turkey lokma are eaten with cheese, similar to breakfastbagels.[25][26]İzmir lokması are doughnut-shaped with a hole in the middle. The spherical one is called the palace lokma (Turkish:Saray lokması).[citation needed] In the Güdül-Ayaş regions ofAnkara, there is a type of lokma known asbırtlak.[27]
Traditionally, forty days after someone dies, close relatives and friends of the deceased cook large quantities of lokma for neighbours and passersby. People form queues to get a plate and recite a prayer for the soul of the deceased after eating the lokma.
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