macun şekeri — Turkey

Macun, also called macun şekeri, is a soft, chewy, brightly colored sugar paste eaten as a street sweet in Turkey. Its texture sits between a taffy and a thick paste, and it is typically flavored and colored in several variants sold side by side. It traces back to Mesir macunu, a spiced paste from the Ottoman period that was originally consumed as a remedy rather than a treat, and macun is described as a sweeter, more playful descendant of those spicy preparations. It is reported across Turkey as a street food, historically served from a tray divided into compartments for the different colors and flavors, a presentation that continues today, and its consumption is tied to certain local customs and festivals. To make it, sugar, water, and a little glucose syrup are cooked into a soft, workable syrup, which is then divided, colored, and flavored — citrus, rose, or mixed spices are common choices — before being kneaded on a cornstarch-dusted surface until smooth and pliable. The paste is shaped into small mounds or coils, often wound onto sticks for easy handling. Vendors differ in the range of colors and flavors offered, the mix of spices used in the spiced portions, and how firm or soft the final paste is kept, some working it longer for a chewier result. The presentation on a compartmented tray is common but not universal, and packaged versions are also sold away from street stalls.