00:00This kitchen in Istanbul serves one of the oldest dessert shops in the world.
00:07And recipes for Turkish delight have been handed down for 162 years.
00:13At Hafiz Mustafa, these treats are made fresh every day.
00:18Because they are so delicate, even a slight shift in temperature can alter their texture.
00:23I'm going to break.
00:31For decades, Hafiz Mustafa sold sweets only in Turkey.
00:37But today, it is one of the largest producers of handmade Turkish delights in the world,
00:43with 24 branches, including in London and Dubai.
00:51So what does it take to make and keep this traditional dessert fresh on a massive scale?
00:58And how is this famous house of sweets turning legacy into a launch pad?
01:06Masterchef Hussain Baral starts each morning at 7 a.m.
01:20Workers begin by mixing cornstarch, sugar and water.
01:25Once it reaches this consistency, they slowly add in a natural foaming agent to plump up the candy's volume.
01:35They beat this mixture at intervals, keeping it frothy while it boils for nearly two hours.
01:55This variety is called Afyon Turkish Delight, after the region it originates from.
02:02Then workers start preparing three other popular flavors.
02:07This one is pomegranate pistachio.
02:11They mix a concentrate of the local fruit made in-house along with nuts.
02:17For the next flavor, workers pour in about 40 kilograms of hazelnuts and an orange extract that makes the kitchen
02:25smell like citrus.
02:28The last kind is loaded with coconut, kiwi and double-roasted pistachios, giving it a rich green color.
02:42Turkey is famous for its high quality nuts.
02:45But with the country's inflation rate above 30%, sourcing these ingredients can be a challenge.
02:52We always have a increase in prices, so we can do a lot of money, but we always try to
02:58protect ourselves.
02:59We always try to take the best ingredients and the best ingredients.
03:03Blenders attached to the kettle keep the batter flowing.
03:07But workers also use traditional tools like this paddle to stir the pots every few minutes, so that it doesn't
03:15stick to the bottom.
03:17Soon after they add the fruits and nuts, they turn off the heat.
03:23And the mixture is carefully transferred onto wooden trays layered with cornstarch.
03:31It's weighed and left to cool, usually for about half an hour.
03:37Next, workers coat the top with cornstarch before flipping it over and rolling it out.
03:43They have to be careful during this step.
03:52These long hand rolls are what Hussain calls fiddle.
04:14Workers set the logs aside for 12 to 24 hours at room temperature.
04:20Finally, the dessert is carefully cut by hand.
04:25Hussain himself learned this craft from a master chef when he was just 11.
04:42Now, he's considered an usta or a master as well.
04:54That's why Hussain carefully supervises every part of the process.
05:18Some of these trays are sent to stores where the dessert is freshly cut for customers, but much of it
05:25is divided into cubes by machines.
05:34The company could rely entirely on machines if it wanted to, but those that Hafiz Mustafa believe, that would compromise
05:42the quality of the dessert.
05:50In these containers, it can last up to three months if properly stored, but if it's left in the fridge,
05:58it could harden, and at warm temperatures, it could become sticky.
06:10The real test comes when the box is opened at home.
06:23This is my 12th Turkish design.
06:29For Hussain, the greatest satisfaction comes from observing the customers.
06:44Here in Turkey, the dessert originated in the palace kitchens of the Ottoman Empire in the late 1700s.
06:51Back then, it was made with ingredients like honey and flour instead of sugar and cornstarch.
06:58And it was infused with rose water, nuts, cinnamon, and citrus, ingredients that symbolized prestige and hospitality.
07:07Slowly, the royal treat made its way to the masses.
07:11Lokum, as it's known in Turkey, emerged as a popular dessert in the early 1800s.
07:17The name is derived from the Arabic word lokma, which means morsel or mouthful.
07:24In 1864, a young confectioner began making these sweets in the basement of his shop in Istanbul, using just his
07:32hands and a dibek stone.
07:35The store came to be known as Hafiz Mustafa, named after the founder.
07:41But ownership has passed from one family to another.
07:45This is a 160-year-old company.
07:47It's not been closed.
07:48Of course, there were many kinds of events in our country.
07:51It's not closed.
07:53It's not closed.
07:54Aaron Ungerlar's family bought out the business in 2007.
07:59At the time, Hafiz Mustafa had just one store with six employees.
08:13That means saying no, even when demand says yes.
08:18When Hafiz Mustafa opened a store in Dubai in 2019, its first outside Turkey, the production facility was ready.
08:27But the flavor wasn't quite right.
08:34It took 25 days to replicate the authentic Turkish taste.
08:39If a person would want to go into Istanbul, we would want to go to Istanbul.
08:42We would want to go to the eyes, the mouth, the mouth, the mouth, the music, the music, the taste.
08:49Freezing and shipping the desserts to its stores abroad would be easier.
08:53But that would diminish their taste, even if only slightly.
08:58So every Hafiz Mustafa has its own production facility.
09:02Even in London, where it launched its store in 2024.
09:12Over the years, the company has won many food awards.
09:30But it's not resting on its laurels.
09:33Research and development have become central to balancing classic recipes with modern tastes.
09:52Now the company is planning to scale up its production capacity too.
10:05This kind of expansion is crucial to staying at the top of Turkey's nearly $2.5 billion dessert market.
10:12Here, sweets play a vital role at cultural celebrations.
10:17Often gifted at births, at weddings, and on Eid.
10:21But traditional desserts have faced competition from trends like Dubai chocolate and Basque cheesecake.
10:28Hafiz Mustafa has also started offering those options with its own twist.
10:33While these fads come and go, the company says Turkish delight has remained a favorite.
10:40Today it produces 36 varieties of Turkish delight, 16 types of cake, and 27 other desserts.
10:48And it has an entire staff dedicated to making baklava.
10:54Here in this kitchen, they start making baklava at 6 in the morning.
10:58And as you can see, there are nearly 30 different varieties.
11:02Guess what I'm having for breakfast this morning?
11:04More baklava, so let's go for it.
11:10Mmm.
11:12Workers start by rolling the dough by hand until it's so thin that it's nearly transparent.
11:18There are different types of cakes.
11:21We have different types of cakes.
11:24We have different types of cakes.
11:26Some types of baklava are layered flat, while others are twisted or rolled into a spiral.
11:33They're filled with different kinds of nuts.
11:35We have different types of cakes.
11:41Once out of the oven, the trays are left to sit for at least two hours,
11:46and are later topped with a syrup that's heavy on ghee.
11:51Then they're sent to the store.
11:53Come in, please.
11:55Hafiz Mustafa attracts nearly 7 million customers a year across its branches.
12:01In Istanbul, 40% of them are locals, and 60% are tourists.
12:07When we come to the house, we eat.
12:10My favorite place is here, because they really give us value.
12:17The tin containers featuring the founder's image even serve as a memento for some customers.
12:23Despite the brand's success, it has no plans to franchise.
12:38But even as this 162-year-old company draws inspiration from its past, its sights are set on the future.
12:46Dubai, Ölen, Londra, Paris, New York, Tokyo,
12:52we are here.
12:54We want to be here.
12:55We want to be here.
12:57We want to be here.
12:59We want to be here.
13:00We want to be here.
13:01We want to show us.
13:15To keep its traditional recipes alive, Hafiz Mustafa plans on training the next generation.
13:27So the company is opening the first vocational high school for baklava making in Turkey.
13:56Carrying on that legacy is also important to Hussain, who hopes to pass this craft
14:01on to future generations.
14:04Today, when I look at my boss, my boss says that my biggest work is to show me what you
14:10have done.
14:13For me, this is my heaven. This is my world. I am happy here.
14:19If you give a bus, I will not be so happy.
14:33I will not be so happy.
14:35If you give my bus, I will not be so happy.
14:35You
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