Pişmaniye, Pashmak and Armenians of Izmit

This helva has been a favourite of everyone for centuries, made in the palace for the sultan, and in villages on long winter nights, when the women would gather around their helva trays and chat and sing as they worked. 'There is flour, butter and sugar. What are you waiting for, make some helva!' were the traditional words spoken before beginning.

Mavi Boncuk | 

The reputation savers of Izmit pişmaniye [1]were the Armenian masters (coming from Iran[2]and Armenia ) who settled in Izmit and its surrounding area in the years between 1601-1611. The one who saved the reputation of Izmit pişmaniye was one of these masters, Şekerci Haci(Pilgrim) Agop Dolmaciyan. However, during the time of World War I, like many others, Şekerci Agop Dolmaciyan migrated to another country after closing his candy shop. 

On the other hand, the First Secretary of Accounting in Izmit, Ethem Efendi, prevented the migration of Dolmaciyan’s skills. He was teaching the children of Dolmacıyan Turkish and French languages, while working in their shop. With learning all the intricacies about the preparation of pişmaniye, Ethem Efendi opened his own candy shop in Kapanönü district after Dolmaciyan’s migration to America.  

Ethem Efendi lived between the years 1892- 1953 and he had a colorful personality. He was known for his botanical culture and music ability. In the later years, his pişmaniye workshop in fact became a school for the new masters.

The earliest Turkish reference to pişmaniye is a recipe by Şirvani,a physician writing during the 1430s. The Persian form pashmak, which is the origin of the Turkish name pişmaniye, occurs in the poetry of the Iranian poet Ebu Ishak, also known as Bushak (d. 1423 or 1427). 

It is said that it used to be made at the Ottoman palace, and hence the name palace helva, the name by which the people of Mudurnu still produce it. In the city of Kastamonu on the Black Sea coast it is named çekme helva or stretch helva, and purchased by visitors as souvenirs. In Antalya the same sweet, this time called keten (flax) helva used to be a feature of get-togethers with friends, who made the helva themselves to the accompaniment of ballads.  It is said that making helva at the palace was a traditional forfeit when betting in the 19th century, and the losers would set off to make helva for the sultan.  

Falsely claimed to be of a Coptic origin from  pis" which means :" to mix flour with fat" ani or mani ": which means : "honey" , this candy found in Egypt, known as "halawa shaar حلاوة شعر" which means : "hair candy" , the word "pis-mani" ( flour mixed with fat -honey) could have transferred along with the "trained-labor transferring" from Egypt to Turkey during Ottoman period.

[1] Pişmaniye is a Turkish sweet in fine strands made by blending flour roasted in butter into pulled sugar. It is sometimes garnished with ground pistachio nuts. Although the texture is similar to cotton candy, both method and ingredients are different.

Until recently pişmaniye used to be made at home in most regions of Turkey, but this tradition is now rapidly disappearing. Today the manufacturing process is partially mechanised. There are many different Turkish names used in different provinces, the most common being tel helva, çekme helva, tel tel, tepme helva and keten helva.

[2] Pashmak (Persian: پشمک‎) is a form of Persian candy floss or cotton candy, made from sesame and sugar. The word Pashmak in Persian is composed of پشم pashm [wool] + ـَک ak [resemblance suffix] meaning "wool-like", as the confectionery resembles sheep's wool.

Pashmak is served on its own or as an accompaniment to fruits, cakes, ice creams, puddings and desserts. Pashmak originated in the Iranian city of Yazd known for its various traditional Persian sweets such as Baghlava, Qottab, Gaz.[citation needed]