Turkish Fig Dessert Will Satisfy The Sultan In You

Turkish cuisine is known for its super-sweet desserts. Did you know that many of them are actually very nutritious?

Many Turkish sweets are based on natural, unrefined ingredients like nuts, fruits and dairy products. A great example of a traditional Turkish dessert that has been around for centuries is fig dessert, better known as ‘incir tatlisi’ (EEN’-JEER’ TAHT’-luh-suh).

‘İncir tatlisi’ is sweet and delicious and at the same time, low in fat. The sultans of the Ottoman palace learned this long ago, and their love for this dish brought the recipe into most Turkish households today almost unchanged.

This dessert starts with dried figs that are soaked in warm water then stuffed with walnuts or hazelnuts before they’re cooked with sugar to soften them and form a thick, sweet syrup. Before serving, these sweet packages are topped with more ground nuts and a dolop of Turkish clotted cream called ‘kaymak.’ The syrup is spooned over the top.

Turkish fig dessert is easy to prepare and it only uses a few ingredients like dried figs, sugar and walnuts that you can find just about everywhere.

Go ahead and try this recipe for Turkish fig dessert the next time you crave a sticky, sweet dessert and actually feel good because you’ve eaten a dessert that’s good for you.

Photo © Elizabeth Taviloglu, 2014