Eliko wrote:Unless I am very much mistaken, it was an Irishman who first produced what we now know as 'Turkish Delight'.
The recipe and production techniques were purloined (along with much equipment) many years ago by a band of marauding adventurers who were attracted by the sweet smells issuing from the inventor's workplace.
A commemorative plaque may still be seen affixed to the stone wall of an old schoolhouse in 'Lucan' ( a small town on the outskirts of Dublin) the townsfolk there have a quaint annual ceremony on 25th October, at which time they gather at the banks of the river (which runs through the town) and hurl sugar coated cubes of what is probably a fair representation of the original product (Turkish Delight) into it's flowing waters.
Vehement curses are uttered as some of the younger members of the community stage mock battles in which the purloiners are always allowed to escape with their ill-gotten gains, a fire is made ready, set ablaze, then brands taken from the fire are circulated among all the young members who run through every street in search of intruders.
The entire ceremony invariably ends in the local ale-houses and as a final act of observance, prayers are offered in memory of Daniel. J. O'Desmond a respected member of another community in Mallow Co Cork. who was slain by those who deprived him of his rightful fame and fortune.
The descendants of that man have made their own mark in many enterprises and have spread over many lands, they have a dignity and presence which is a credit to the land from which they hailed.
I should have mentioned (when the topic of 'Turkish Delight' was under dicussion) that there was another small enterprise quite local to this one which produced the 'Original' recipe for Halloumi (as is known today under many titles), which was subjected to the same fate.
Those same marauders effectively captured the inventor and, (because he retained the secret of production in his mind) were obliged to carry him off bound and gagged to their homeland, believed to be somewhere to the north of Persia, where he was afforded the comforts of a palatial home together with elevated titles, providing he agreed to oversee the production of this delicious commodity.
Paddy agreed and to this day is regarded as a traitor throughout the 'Emerald Isle', a statue is erected in the town square in Lucan and the towns-people hurl balloons filled with sour milk at it whenever the others light their fire-brands in search of strangers.
Thus, the art of making stone images appear 'Old' by dousing with milk was discovered.
Yet another example of the ingenuity of our friends across the 'Irish Sea'.
