# Macun

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Macun
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Macun.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macun
> Source revision: 1183533761
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Short description|Turkish toffee paste}}
{{other uses}}
thumb|upright=1.3|Macun in Turkey

'''Macun''' (in [Turkish](/source/Turkish_language) also '''Macun şekeri''') is a soft, sweet and colorful [Turkish](/source/Turkish_cuisine) [toffee](/source/toffee) paste.<ref name="Isin 2013"/><ref name="Goldstein Mintz 2015"/> It is a street food that may be prepared with many herbs and spices. Macun originated from spicy preparations of [Mesir macunu](/source/Mesir_macunu),<ref name="DailySabah 2014"/> a traditional Turkish [herbal](/source/Herbalism) paste from the [classical antiquity](/source/classical_antiquity) period. During classical antiquity, macun was consumed as a pharmaceutical [medicine](/source/medicine). It was historically served in a round tray with separate compartments for the various flavors, a serving style that has continued into modern times. The consumption of macun is a part of some Turkish customs.

==Overview==
thumb|upright|Macun
Macun is a [street food](/source/street_food) that is often sold outdoors,<ref name="Isin 2013"/> especially during [street festival](/source/street_festival)s (''panayır''). It is a popular sweet among children.<ref name="Isin 2013"/> The color of various macuns may be vivid or bright.<ref name="Goldstein Mintz 2015"/> Macun may be prepared with a great deal of herbs and spices.<ref name="Önen 1991"/> Ingredients to flavor macun have traditionally included [bergamot](/source/Bergamot_essential_oil), cinnamon, [mastic](/source/Mastic_(plant_resin)), mint, rose, lemon and plum.<ref name="Isin 2013"/>

==History==
Macun originated from spicy preparations of [Mesir macunu](/source/Mesir_macunu),<ref name="DailySabah 2014"/> a traditional [herbal](/source/Herbalism) paste from [classical antiquity](/source/classical_antiquity).<ref name="Isin 2013"/> During classical antiquity, macun was consumed as a pharmaceutical [medicine](/source/medicine).<ref name="Isin 2013"/>

Macun was purported to have therapeutic effects to give the body strength and to calm one's spirit.<ref name="Isin 2013"/> Islamic physicians have prepared hundreds of different varieties of macun.<ref name="Isin 2013"/> The various herbs and spices used were mixed with honey in macun preparation, the latter of which also served to [preserve](/source/Food_preservation) the product.<ref name="Isin 2013"/> Various macuns have been served and consumed as both a medicine and as a confectionery (sweetmeats).<ref name="Isin 2013"/> During the [Ottoman period](/source/Ottoman_Empire), macun named ''Neruz macunu'', also referred to as ''nevruziyye'', was consumed as both a medicine and confectionery.<ref name="Isin 2013"/>

During the 17th century in Turkey, the [dervish](/source/dervish) Seyyid Hasan denoted the consumption of two flavors of macun, respectively flavored with mint and [sweet flag](/source/Acorus_calamus).<ref name="Isin 2013"/> These macun varieties were served at meals he consumed with other dervishes and friends.<ref name="Isin 2013"/> Hasan was a part of the Sunbuliyye [mystic](/source/Mysticism) order, as its [sheikh](/source/sheikh).<ref name="Isin 2013"/>

==Service==
thumb|Macun being served in its traditional container

Macun is typically served in a round tin tray that has separate triangular-shaped compartments.<ref name="Isin 2013"/> It may be served by scooping using a ''macuncu mablaği'' or ''macunkeș'', which is shaped like a screwdriver.<ref name="Isin 2013"/> The macun is scooped and then wrapped around a small stick.<ref name="Isin 2013"/><ref name="Goldstein Mintz 2015"/> This may be done with alternate flavors, which creates a striped sweet.<ref name="Isin 2013"/> In Turkey, people that serve macun may be referred to as ''macuncu''.<ref name="Isin 2013"/> 

===History===
In the past in Turkey, the serving trays were constructed from copper or wood, and [street vendor](/source/Hawker_(trade))s would stand the macun trays upon portable tripods.<ref name="Isin 2013"/> Others would carry macun in a container strapped to their waist with a belt, whereby the container had separate compartments for various flavors of the macun.<ref name="Isin 2013"/> Some macun vendors in [Istanbul](/source/Istanbul), Turkey, would try to attract customers and compete with other vendors by playing music.<ref name="Isin 2013"/> Street vendors would purvey macun to people at the [Hıdırellez](/source/H%C4%B1d%C4%B1rellez) spring festival, on market days, holidays, at wedding processions,<ref name="Isin 2013"/> and at other times.

==Customs==
In the [Anatolia](/source/Anatolia) region, it is a wedding custom for the groom to eat macun on the night of his wedding.<ref name="Önen 1991"/> The mesir bayrami ceremony in [Manisa](/source/Manisa), Turkey, involves the distribution of macun to people on the streets.<ref name="Önen 1991"/>

==See also==
{{portal|Food|Turkey}}
* [List of Turkish desserts](/source/List_of_Turkish_desserts)
* [List of desserts](/source/List_of_desserts)

==References==
{{reflist|30em|refs=
<ref name="Isin 2013">{{cite book | last=Isin | first=M. | title=Sherbet and Spice: The Complete Story of Turkish Sweets and Desserts | publisher=I. B. Tauris | year=2013 | isbn=978-1-84885-898-5 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YHj-Mdv432UC&pg=PA86 | pages=86&ndash;90}}</ref>
<ref name="Goldstein Mintz 2015">{{cite book | last1=Goldstein | first1=D. | last2=Mintz | first2=S. | title=The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets | publisher=Oxford University Press | year=2015 | isbn=978-0-19-931362-4 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XPNgBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA1290 | page=1290}}</ref>
<ref name="Önen 1991">{{cite book | last=Önen | first=Ü. | title=Turkey | publisher=Akademia Yayıncılık | year=1991 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OzotAQAAIAAJ&q=Macun+toffee | page=65}} {{subscription required}}</ref>
<ref name="DailySabah 2014">{{cite web | title=The Turkish sweet tooth | website=DailySabah | date=November 24, 2014 | url=http://www.dailysabah.com/food/2014/11/24/the-turkish-sweet-tooth | access-date=December 27, 2015}}</ref>
}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite web | title=Şişli'de iftar vakti | website=Cumhuriyet Gazetesi | date=June 22, 2015 | url=http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/haber/yasam/304217/Sisli_de_iftar_vakti.html | language=tr | access-date=December 27, 2015}}

==External links==
{{commonscat|Macun (toffee)}}
* [http://nezihtavlas.deviantart.com/art/Ottoman-Toffee-388250328 Ottoman toffee]

{{Cuisine of Turkey}}

Category:Turkish desserts
Category:Turkish words and phrases
Category:Candy

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Macun](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macun) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macun?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.