Candy Wars. Episode V - Al Strikes Back

[dracos_boyfriend]

Sinead ... "Turkish delights are the most wonderful candies on the 
earth.... like Ferrero Rocher, Aero, Curly Wurlies, Roses 
Chocolates.... mmmmmmm!!!!"

:puts on hypocrite hat:

Ferrero Rocher???!!  Eeew! Yuck!  How can you actually :eat: those 
foul things!

I also intend to buy a really big box for John when he comes down to 
Brighton next week.

:puts on hypocrite hat again:

I am shocked and appalled at Michelle's blatantly sweetist attitude - 
and intend having words with her when we next meet.

Eb wanted to know where to get it.  I'd suggest trying a :Turkish: 
speciality store as it is Turkish, and this is why I was surprised to 
find Rachel saying she found it in the British aisle (British aisle - 
British Isles ... geddit?), of all places.  This probably means, 
looking at this in the cold light of day, that she actually bought 
Fry's Turkish Delight, which is chocolate coated, wrapped in pink 
foil and not at all representative of the genre.  Fry's is 
manufactured on a production line, is saccharine and not especially 
nice, so I'll concede on that point.

Rita mentioned hash.  I'm interested, though not especially surprised 
to know that it was dusted with hash - what we consider as drug 
culture being more pervasive in the mainstream than any of us dare 
imagine, but that's beside the point.

More genuine brands include Hazer Baba's, which is widely available 
in the UK, and is one of the nicer ones.  This brand comes in lemon 
flavour as well, both are dusted in icing sugar, and so it is usually 
a 50/50 lottery as to which one you get.  Naturally, the rose flavour 
is more in demand - as lemon tastes pretty much like lemon wherever 
you go - my brother and I are usually in competition for the rose 
flavoured bits.  Over Christmas we got given the genuine article, 
made by a company in Istanbul and imported in small quantities.  It 
becomes clear that British TD and Turkish TD are two completely 
different things - and that the sweet flavours are manufactured more 
for British tastes.  The Turkish kind had two additional flavours; 
almond and pistachio, both of which had nuts embedded in the 
sweetmeat.  The pistachio ones were very nice, but I don't much care 
for almonds, and so thought those ones were horrible.  Neither of 
them were especially sweet, either.  If I recall rightly, the lemon 
ones had candied lemon peel in them, and the rose ones actual petals -
neither of these were especially dissimilar to British/more mass-
produced varieties - they were actually nicer.  Proving, really, that 
if it's taste you want, you need to be prepared to shop around and 
pay higher quantities, and I suspect that's the trap Rachel fell into.

As for making it domestically.  I'd imagine it's possible.  I've 
never seen any recipes in existence.  However my Grandmother's Aunt 
ran a sweetshop in London around 80 years ago - so if there is a 
recipe hanging around, it's a fair bet my Grandmother will have it.  
I'll try and track something down.

But remember, don't knock it till you try it!

Alex - who will now go back to writing Snitch! and stop bugging youse 
all.

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AR - Adopted in 1906, what is the official anthem of the United 
States Navy?
Contestant - God Save The Queen.

NBC - The Weakest Link
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