A sweet taste of the past

A new TG4 documentary recalls the famous Turkish delights from the Hadji Beyshop in Cork, says Colette Sheridan

ONE of Cork’s most famous delicacies is the subject of a forthcoming TG4 documentary entitled Hadji Bey: Milseáin na Tuirce i gCorcaigh. Presented by Catherine Foley, the programme tells the story of how Turkish delights were introduced to the city by an Armenian Christian who spotted a niche market for his product.

Harutun Batmazian, who had left Turkey because of religious persecution, was living in London with his wife, Esther, when he decided to showcase his product at the Great Exhibition in Cork in 1902. Such was the success of his visit that he settled in Cork and set up his business in the city. Hadji Bey, which means ‘a prince from the east’, developed iconic status and in its heyday, was supplied to Buckingham Palace and also sold in Harrods in London as well as Macys and Bloomingdales in New York. A version is now made by Urney Chocolate in Kildare.