Meet the Turkish chocolate

Turkey is not intended to be known as the chocolate capital of the world like Switzerland or Belgium, but Turks love chocolate not less than lokum and baklava and therefore local companies produce variuos versions of beloved sweet.
Let's learn what key features distinguish Turkish chocolate:
   1. Pistachios refine any dessert in Turkish cuisine, so they do with chocolate. The perfect combination of chocolate and pistachios gained high popularity among Turks.

I dare to claim that 99 % of Turk chocolate lovers prefer "antep fistikli" chocolate to any other. Milky, dark and white chocolate with ground or whole pistachios are presented in the range of every local chocolate manufacturer.

   2. Turk confectioners get used to manufacture square chocolate bars, Ritter Sport alike. 

Main chocolate producers like Eti, Ülker, Nestle and Torku present their chocolate in square shape. Some of them have alternative rectangular version as well Milka and private label chocolates of local shops. Best selling flavours are repeated in small bars by 30 gr. 

   3. Curiously, in Turkey they don't sell chocolate candies by weight at shops. But three times a year, on national holidays - Şeker bayram, Cocuk bayram and Kurban bayram - Turks have tradition to treat children, so these days shops offer a wide range of chocolate candies by weight.  

But there is an exception to the rule. If you can't wait till national holidays but need to buy chocolate by weight, you should visit Kahve Dünyası - local cafe chain. They have private label chocolate candies Lavi by weight, which are similar to Swiss Lindor by taste and look. 

   4. As an experienced chocolate lover I found out the most delicious and healthy treat on Turkish chocolate market. I vote for Tadelle - praline bar of 30 gr, featured in white, milky and dark chocolate coating. Its taste resembles Italian gianduja or Soviet pralines "Arahisoviye".

   5. While we get used to classic 100 gr chocolate bar, in Turkey its weight changes everytime when Turkish currency's value falls. For now, in 2019, classic bar's weight was reduced till 65 gr therefore only customers on a diet are happy with this news.