Pişmaniye is a type of dessert made using flour, sugar, and oil, with a fibrous, thread-like texture. It is also known among the public as "tel helva" and is associated with the Turkiye province of Kocaeli. The production process requires skill and is traditionally prepared by hand with high physical effort, pulling the dough until it separates into fine strands. Today, with the development of technology, the production process is partially supported by machines. The dessert, registered with a geographical indication under the name "İzmit Pişmaniyesi" in Kocaeli, has gained an important place both in local consumption and in the international market.
Pişmaniye (Photo: T.C. Kocaeli Valiliği)
Origin
There are different opinions regarding the origin of pişmaniye and where its name comes from. According to the most widely accepted view, the word pişmaniye was borrowed from Persian into Turkish. In Iranian cuisine, this dessert, which looks like sheep's wool and is called "peşmek," was introduced into the culinary culture during the Ottoman period. Over time, the word "peşmek" transformed into "pişmaniye" in Turkish. This dessert, which also had a place in Ottoman palace cuisine, was adopted by the public and has been passed down to the present day.
Its presence during the Ottoman period is also seen in the cookbook Melceü’t-Tabbâhîn, written by Ottoman physician Şirvânî in the 1430s, where the dessert is referred to as "pişmanî helva." This recipe indicates that desserts made with almonds and sugar were common in Ottoman cuisine. The traditional method of preparation gives the dessert its distinctive flavor through a combination of sweet and bitter almonds. In regions with intensive almond production, such as Edirne and the Aegean Region, it became more widely consumed over time. It has come down to us as a legacy of Ottoman culinary culture.
Pişmaniye Production
Ingredients
- Sugar
- Flour
- Vegetable oil or butter
- Lemon salt
- Water
The production of pişmaniye is a traditional process that requires skill. The production phase begins with bringing the sugar to the appropriate consistency. Sugar is boiled together with water and lemon salt until it reaches 180°C. At this stage, the most important point is to ensure that the sugar thickens without crystallizing. The boiling sugar is then poured onto a marble countertop to cool and is subjected to a whitening process. During this process, the sugar is continuously stretched and folded to increase the amount of air inside, resulting in a lighter, fibrous structure.
Meanwhile, the mixture of flour and oil, another important component of the dessert, is prepared. The flour is roasted in a large pan over low heat together with butter or vegetable oil, with constant stirring. This process allows the flour to become slightly whitened and to acquire its distinctive aroma. The roasted flour is then combined with the whitened sugar paste, and the mixture is stretched using traditional methods. The skilled makers stretch the dough into a ring shape and fold it repeatedly. When this process is repeated about 25–30 times, the sugar turns into very fine strands, and pişmaniye acquires its unique thread-like texture.
In the final stage, the shaped pişmaniye is either left in its thread-like form or formed into small balls before being packaged. Although the traditional production process is very labor-intensive and requires a certain level of skill, pişmaniye made by hand is still among the most preferred. Even though part of the production process is now facilitated by machines, the handcrafted pişmaniye remains highly valued.
