Kruševo lokum

Krushevo lokum is the North Macedonian version of Turkish delight, made with a mixture of water, sugar, starch, and lemon acid, which is cooked in a large copper vessel. Once ready, the hot lokum mixture is carefully dripped onto wooden trays and allowed to rest for a whole day before it is cut into small cubes and dusted with powdered sugar. Krushevo lokum is handmade, except for the stirring part, and has two varieties: one is sade lokum, or plain lokum with no added ingredients, and the other one is lokum with walnuts. The preparation of this North Macedonian delicacy is a family tradition that started almost 100 years ago. Although the ingredients are simple, they have to be used in the right ratio to produce the desired product. Krushevo lokum is sold in a little sweet shop, called Balkan, located in Krushevo. In this town, it is a custom to serve freshly prepared coffee with lokum on the side. This delicacy is typically consumed during holidays such as Proshteni pokladi, or Prochka, name days, memorials, and weddings.