Sometimes when you visit a cart and there's too many people, it's just a clusterfuck. The last two times I've been to the Kati Roll Cart, they've given me the wrong order. Also the last two times there's been like twenty people waiting for their orders around lunch hour. That's to be expected when you visit a popular cart in Midtown. But sometimes you're trying to give your bung hole a rest from spicy food, but you end up with spicy kati rolls. I mean, don't get me wrong. They taste good. I guess it's possible to rim your ass with Novocaine, but man, the trouble that would take. TMI? I don't give a fuck today.

So elsewhere in Midtown these days you can find a treat called 'Turkish Delight' or 'lokum'. There's a holiday market up in Bryant Park and there is a stall on the northwest corner of the park. They do other Turkish/Middle Eastern goodies but the lokum was the thing that Steph introduced to me. Apparently it's made out of some combination of starch, water, sugar/honey, and maybe gelatin? It's dusted with some white stuff on the outside, which is either corn starch, powdered, sugar, or maybe even some combination of the two. The little cubes are two for a dollar and they're definitely worth a try.

In Turkey you can get all different sorts of lokum. At the stall in the holiday market though, their variation features chopped pistachios. The texture is a cross between a swedish fish and jello. No I'm just kidding, that's a horrible way to describe it. From the looks of it, you would think it's like a gummy bear but it's doesn't have the chewiness. The lokum succumbs to your bite and isn't too sticky. Pistachios that are studded in the lokum provide a good contrast in texture. I know lots of people are afraid of cloying candy (although what's the point of candy if not to be sweet?), and these candies are not overly sweet. They're subtle, interesting, and nice. If you're going to walk around the holiday market at Bryant Park, I suggest picking up a few pieces of lokum.

Posted by Danny on December 17, 2010 at 4:17 pm

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• Lokum is also called Turkish delights. When I was in Turkey, you could sample all you want in the food market. After awhile, of course, you get tired of the mochi, mochi texture and need some real food. If you really like them, you can buy a whole box at Middle Eastern supermarkets, too.

  kim
  December 17, 2010 9:26 pm

• They have Turkish Delights at Kalustyans too. The rose ones are really good.

  bionicgrrrl
  December 19, 2010 9:27 pm

• Check out the Turkish Delights tasted by Gail Greene. :)

  http://www.insatiable-critic.com/Article.aspx?ID=1459&keyword=Hooked by Fish Tag

  kim
  December 20, 2010 11:08 am

• Kati Roll is the shit, no doubt. Yeah I like keeping my butthole honest/guessing by hammering it with spices of the Eastern origins! What about it!?

  Nicholas
  December 20, 2010 2:01 pm

• @kim,

  You're right, it's very similar to a mochi in texture. Not as sticky though. And I gotta try some at Middle Eastern super markets!

  @Tia,

  Oooh ok, I'll go find Kalustyans then. Thanks!

  @Nicholas,

  Word, that's how we do. We keep it guessing. haha.

  Danny
  December 20, 2010 3:13 pm

• in case you want to recreate some at home :)

  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/22/dining/22curiousrex3.html?ref=dining

  kim
  December 22, 2010 2:54 pm