🥃 Pekmez
A thick Turkish syrup of boiled-down grape juice.
Pekmez is a Turkish thick syrup made from boiled-down grape juice. It is made by evaporating the juice over a fire until it thickens and becomes dark and very sweet. The result is a syrup similar to liquid honey or molasses.
Traditionally pekmez is made in autumn, during the harvest. The juice is sometimes clarified with a special white earth that removes excess acidity, then boiled in large kettles. Pekmez is stored all winter. It is used as a natural sweetener: added to desserts, spread on bread, eaten with tahini, stirred into porridge.
Pekmez is one of the grape syrups. Similar products exist in other countries: in Greece and Cyprus it is petimezi. It is tied to Turkish wine as a product made from the same berry but without fermentation. It contains no alcohol. Pekmez is valued for its taste and nourishment, but it is very high in calories, so it is eaten in small amounts.
Links
- Part of
- 🥃 Grape syrup
- Where it is made
- 🗺️ Turkish wine
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Grape syrup, 🥃 Petimezi
Frequently asked questions
What is pekmez?
A Turkish thick syrup made from boiled-down grape juice.
Does pekmez contain alcohol?
No, the juice is boiled down, not fermented.
How is pekmez used?
As a natural sweetener: with bread, desserts, porridge and tahini.
Similar
🥃 Saba (sapa) · 🥃 Petimezi · 🥃 Rakı · 🥃 Grape syrup · 🥃 Moustalevria
⚠️ Wine contains alcohol: adults only, drink in moderation. Wine usually contains sulphites; egg white or milk proteins are sometimes used for fining — important for allergies and for vegans.