🥃 Pekmez
Also known as: grape molasses
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.
How it connects to Wine
🥃 Pekmez → made in → 🗺️ Turkish wine → kind of → 🗺️ Wines of Europe → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Part of
- 🥃 Grape syrup
- Where it is made
- 🗺️ Turkish wine
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Grape syrup, 🥃 Petimezi
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that pekmez is just another name for molasses?
Not quite. Pekmez is made only from boiled-down grape juice, so it resembles liquid honey or molasses but is a grape syrup.
Why is a white earth added when making pekmez?
A special earth that is sometimes added to clarify the juice and remove excess acidity before boiling.
Why is pekmez eaten in small amounts?
It is very high in calories, though valued for its taste and nourishment.
Similar
🥃 Saba (sapa) · 🥃 Petimezi · 🥃 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.