Turkish Cotton Candy: Pişmaniye

Pişmaniye, also known as Turkish cotton candy, is a type of dessert that originated from the Kocaeli region. Due to its unique sweetness and lightness, it is very popular throughout the country. The first person to make this dessert is Hacı Agop Dolmajian of Armenian origin.

The history of the pişmaniye goes back to the Ottoman Empire. It is also known as “palace halva” in the Izmit region today, as it was first made in houses and later in palaces. This dessert, which looks like cotton, whets the appetite of even those who have not eaten before. It is one of the indispensable foods of all local festivities and feasts in Kocaeli.

The origin of the pişmaniye dates back to Iran. Since it resembles sheep’s wool, it took the name peşmek, which means “like wool,” and in time, it was referred to as peshmaniye in Turkish. The fact that it is an original and light dessert has attracted attention all over the country.

In the past, this dessert was made mainly by men because it required high muscle power. Even though technology has facilitated the production of pişmaniye, the making of this dessert still requires the skill of the masters. This dessert’s primary raw materials require mastery: sugar, flour, and vegetable oils. Once it is made, it is a strand and has a unique look and taste.

Pişmaniye is made from butter, vanilla, flour, water, lemon salt, and sugar. The sugar, which is melted until it becomes like wax, is turned into a large ring with the help of a special machine after it is frozen. The roasted flour is blended with the help of this machine until the melted butter is added.

Although the ingredients in it are not very diverse, the preparation of pişmaniye is a highly complicated task. In a copper cauldron in proportion to the dessert to be made, the flour and oil are well roasted with great patience. This roasting process, which takes almost 5-6 hours, needs to be done with a wooden spoon.

While the roasting process continues, the sugar is boiled in a separate cauldron until it has the right consistency. Then, sugar and the roasted flour are mixed homogeneously. As a final process, this mixture is poured into large trays and turned over until it becomes like a wire.