The nut -free lokum is often rose, mint or mastic. There are also fruit flavoured lokum. Lokum just means sweet. Yep, it’s something like a ju jube. The Greek bakeries in Toronto like Serano sell the nut-free type as well as the nut type. I didn’t try the nut type until I visited Turkey.
Liu Loqum sells some nut -free versions. The Liu Loqum are much chewier and stickier, and contain more fruit, than the typical type of Lokum/ Loqum.
Re: baklava (tangent because I’m making this more general than Turkish baklava)
I guess walnut baklava is predominant at Turkish, Greek and Serbian restaurants when only one type of baklava is available. I find pistachio baklava is the predominant type at Middle Eastern restaurants. At bakeries, there are often several types of baklava. Liu Loqum has several types that are not walnut baklava, including pistachio versions, and a cream (Şöbiyet) version.
There is also a nut -free baklava at Serano bakery (a Greek bakery in Toronto), that is essentially baked buttered rolls of filo filled with nothing inside, and drizzled with syrup, as well as coconut baklava, date -filled baklava, chocolate- filled baklava, and apricot baklava. Without nuts inside any of them. I’ve also tried coconut and Rosewater baklava at Persian pastry shops.
I would think some Turkish pastry shops in Toronto also have some nut -free baklavas, as well!
This listicle is pan-baklava, from all regions. I tried the Havuç Dilim/ carrot slice, a triangular Turkish type, which contains pistachios but no carrots, at Liu Loqum in the summer. It’s mentioned in the listicle
Liu Loqum also has this pistachio mussel -shaped type, Midye.
Visneli (sour cherry / vissino) baklava
visneli/ cherry baklava- recipe in Turkish, I use Google Translate
Kestaneli /chestnut baklava (from the Marmara region, recipe in Turkish)
In terms of nuts, hazelnuts and filberts are my least favourite, followed by cashews and walnuts.
I like almonds, chestnuts, Brazil nuts and pine nuts.
My favourite nuts are pecans and macadamia nuts.
