# What was this Turkish dessert? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 21, 2012, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-turkish-dessert/613494 "2012-02-21T03:35:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MagicEyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@MagicEyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicEyes)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-turkish-dessert/613494/1 "2012-02-21T03:35:30Z")
I went to a potluck recently, and a Turkish couple brought a dessert I loved. It was kind of a thick pudding-type thing, and I’m guessing it’s grain-based but it didn’t have a grainy texture. It had a very strong vanilla flavor and it was topped with a thick layer of cinnamon and sprinkled with chopped nuts. When I tried to spoon some of it up, it kind of globbed up and stuck to the spoon. (That doesn’t sound very glamorous, but trust me, this was a very tasty dessert.) I tried googling, but I couldn’t find anything that resembles it. If anyone can help me, I’ll be eternally grateful! ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-turkish-dessert/613494/2 "2012-02-21T03:41:48Z")
Could have been zabaglione, which is egg yolks, sugar, and liqueur whipped on a double boiler. Could have been syllabub, which is just sweetened and spiked whipped cream. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-turkish-dessert/613494/3 "2012-02-21T03:50:30Z")
[List of Turkish desserts](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Turkish_desserts) Sounds like it could be [Keşkül](http://www.giverecipe.com/keskul.html)? ETA: having spent several days in Istanbul and sampled the astonishing panoply of delicious sweets they have, I have no idea why the Turks aren’t the most obese people on the planet. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-turkish-dessert/613494/4 "2012-02-21T04:13:57Z")
It could be based on a farina- or semolina-based pastry cream filling that’s used to fill some Greek desserts, such as galaktoboureko. Many Greek desserts are the same as Turkish ones. [Here’s one recipe for a dessert based on farina](http://www.grouprecipes.com/63080/greek-farina-dessert.html), topped with a lot of cinnamon. It looks like it _might_ be thicker than what you want, but I can’t really tell without googling more. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-turkish-dessert/613494/5 "2012-02-21T08:50:55Z")
Maybe it wasn’t Turkish at all. Could it have been something like [firni](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firni)? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-turkish-dessert/613494/6 "2012-02-21T11:31:37Z")
Sounds like rice pudding ([Sütlaç](https://www.google.com/search?q=S%C3%BCtla%C3%A7&hl=en&client=ubuntu&hs=MLU&channel=fs&gl=za&prmd=imvns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&ei=9X9DT7GaBo2whAeYpIG6BQ&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CBcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1360&bih=572#q=S%C3%BCtla%C3%A7&hl=en&client=ubuntu&hs=k0o&channel=fs&gl=za&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&source=lnt&tbs=isz:l&sa=X&ei=-n9DT9iOF4uJhQfC5JnsBQ&ved=0CA0QpwUoAQ&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=d5d9e2892a286471&biw=1360&bih=572)) to me (the stuff I’ve had didn’t have a grainy texture at all, but apparently it can vary, and you get a baked variety too) ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-turkish-dessert/613494/7 "2012-02-21T12:36:06Z")
Can you not ask the couple what it was the next time you see them? ---
**Author:** ![MagicEyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@MagicEyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicEyes)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-turkish-dessert/613494/8 "2012-02-22T22:42:08Z")
> [@kittenblue](#): > > Can you not ask the couple what it was the next time you see them? I don’t know if I’ll ever see them again. I did ask for the recipe and gave them my email, but I didn’t think to ask them the name of the dessert. Thanks for all of the suggestions. The keşkül looks like a good possibility. I’ll make some if I can find any rice flour. The farina dessert looks interesting too. Are there any other good Turkish desserts I should try? ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-turkish-dessert/613494/9 "2012-02-23T00:16:26Z")
Look for rice flour in the gluten-free section. ---
**Author:** ![3waygeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e95f7d/32.png) [@3waygeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3waygeek)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-turkish-dessert/613494/10 "2012-02-23T18:56:53Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > Look for rice flour in the gluten-free section. And if you can’t find it, I’ve seen at least one cooking show host make his own with uncooked white rice and a coffee grinder. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-turkish-dessert/613494/11 "2012-02-23T19:27:25Z")
Taffy… Towel . . . Border . . . . Can I see your passport, please? ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-turkish-dessert/613494/12 "2012-02-23T19:56:15Z")
> [@3waygeek](#): > > And if you can’t find it, I’ve seen at least one cooking show host make his own with uncooked white rice and a coffee grinder. Also found at places that sell South Asian and Latin American and Middle Eastern groceries.