FAMOUS IZMIT COTTON CANDY
Pişmaniye whose history dated back to ancient becomes famous as a candy particular to Izmit and is like a symbol of the city. Being a unique dessert brand and lightness make pişmaniye famous and provide it attention.
Pişmaniye whose main materials are sugar, flour and butter is a dessert type requiring effort during its preparation. In order to prepare pişmaniye which requires strong arms, sugar melting until turning into caramel then freezing is formed into a big ring. Melted butter is added to roasted flour on a tray.
Then a few people around the tray begin to spin caramel in the shape of ring on roasted flour. After each spin, caramel re-shaped as ring and this process continues until all flour on the tray blends into caramel and caramel becomes halva stringy.
Even though blending boiled sugar with roasted flour seems easy at first sight, a little mistake can waste all efforts and expenses.
Moreover it is related that the name of “Pişmaniye” (Translator’s note: Pişman means being regretful) comes from this situation. On the other hand, it is known that the name of "Pişmaniye" is given because of eating difficulty and scattering while eating due to its cottony feature.
“The one who eats pişmaniye is regretful for once but who does not is millions times” expresses that as pişmaniye pieces stick on lips and scatter while eating the person eating this desert is regretful. On the other hand as it is very delicious so the person not eating it, is also regretful and from this point of view the name “Pişmaniye” is given to this dessert. Pişmaniye peculiar to Izmit is exported not only to all cities of Turkey but also many countries all over the world.
In order to make pişmaniye of izmit a brand, an advertisement campaign has been begun. In this direction, under the leadership of izmit Municipality, 1040 m. pişmaniye was prepared at the First Pişmaniye Festival and Pişmaniye of Izmit has been recorded to the Guinness Records Book.
