Why Is Sultan Lokum White? The Science of Soapwort Extract, Saponins and Turkish Delight Technology

Sultan Lokum, also known in Turkish confectionery terminology as Sultan Lokumu or Paşa Lokumu, is one of the most distinctive forms of Turkish delight. Unlike classical plain lokum, which may appear translucent, cream-coloured or fruit-coloured depending on its recipe, Sultan Lokum is known for its soft white appearance, light mouthfeel and elastic structure. At first glance, many people assume that this whiteness comes from coconut, powdered sugar, milk, starch coating or artificial colouring. In traditional production, however, the real explanation is more technical and more interesting: Sultan Lokum is white because of whipped soapwort root extract and the saponins naturally present in it.

The short answer is this: Sultan Lokum becomes white because soapwort extract is whipped into a stable white foam and then incorporated into the sugar-starch lokum mass. This foam introduces countless tiny air bubbles into the confectionery structure. These air bubbles scatter light, make the mass look opaque and white, increase volume and contribute to the characteristic soft elasticity of Sultan Lokum. In other words, the white colour is not simply a surface decoration; it is the visible result of a controlled food-technology process.

Sultan Lokum is not merely “ordinary Turkish delight covered in something white.” In Turkish food-technology literature, it is treated as a specific type of lokum. According to the definition cited in studies on Turkish delight, Sultan Lokum is obtained by mixing a sugar syrup whitened with soapwort extract into the plain lokum mass (Ogun, 2019). This is an important distinction: the white identity of Sultan Lokum comes from the internal structure of the product, not from a white external coating.

Classical lokum is usually produced from sugar, water, starch and acid, and then may be flavoured with rose, lemon, orange, mint, pomegranate, nuts or other ingredients. Sultan Lokum differs because its technology includes a foaming stage. Soapwort extract is beaten until it forms a light, stable foam, which is then introduced into the lokum base. This step changes not only colour, but also volume, structure and the way the product feels in the mouth.

This is why Sultan Lokum often appears more delicate, softer and more “ceremonial” than ordinary lokum. It has a visual purity that makes pistachios, hazelnuts, fruit pieces, rose petals or cream fillings look more expressive. Yet its value is not only visual. Its whiteness is linked directly to texture.

Soapwort extract is obtained from the roots of plants belonging to the Gypsophila genus. In Turkey, this ingredient is widely known as çöven, çöven suyu or çöven extract. The roots are extracted with hot water, producing a liquid rich in natural surface-active compounds known as saponins. In Turkish confectionery, soapwort extract has traditionally been used in products such as Sultan Lokum, Paşa Lokumu, tahini halva and nougat-like sweets, especially where a stable white foam, increased volume and controlled texture are desired (Çam, 2010; Kablan, 2023).

From a food-engineering perspective, soapwort extract is a functional ingredient. It is not mainly used for taste. Its role is technological: it helps whiten the mass, produces foam, improves volume, contributes to structure and, in some systems, behaves like an emulsifying agent (Çam, 2010; Kablan, 2023). This is why dissertations on the subject examine soapwort extract not as a simple flavouring material, but as a structure-forming component.

Çam (2010) studied soapwort extract, soapwort concentrate and soapwort powder for use in Turkish delight and halva production. The study found that soapwort concentrate and soapwort powder could be used in these products without causing a statistically significant negative effect on the visible colour of the lokum samples. This point is important for modern production because it shows that the technological effect of soapwort can be maintained not only in traditional liquid extract, but also in more controlled forms such as concentrate or powder.

The whiteness of Sultan Lokum does not come from soapwort extract acting as a white pigment. The mechanism is physical as much as chemical. When soapwort extract is whipped, saponins help trap air in the form of fine bubbles. These bubbles become dispersed within the sugar-starch mass. As light enters the structure, it is reflected and scattered by the many interfaces between air and syrup-gel matrix. The result is a more opaque, matte and white appearance.

A similar principle can be seen in other foods. Egg white, meringue, whipped cream and aerated sugar masses become visually lighter not simply because of their ingredients, but because air is incorporated into the structure. A transparent or semi-transparent material becomes opaque when it contains many tiny bubbles. Sultan Lokum follows the same basic optical logic, but with soapwort extract rather than egg white.

The size and stability of the bubbles matter. Large unstable bubbles would give an uneven structure and may collapse. Fine and stable foam gives the product a more uniform white colour and a softer body. This is where saponins become essential.

The term “saponin” comes from the Latin word sapo, meaning soap. This name reflects the ability of saponins to form soap-like foam in water. In Sultan Lokum, this foaming ability is not incidental; it is the foundation of the product’s characteristic whiteness and light texture.

Saponins are amphiphilic molecules. In simple terms, one part of the molecule interacts with water, while another part interacts more readily with less polar phases. Because of this structure, saponins reduce surface tension and help stabilise air bubbles in aqueous systems. Kablan (2023) describes soapwort extract as a material that can be transformed into a permanent white foam by high-speed mixing and notes that it is used in tahini halva, Sultan/Paşa Lokumu and nougat to bleach the product colour, act as an emulsifier, improve structure and increase volume.

This explains why soapwort extract has such a specific place in Turkish confectionery. It is not ordinary plant juice. It is a traditional extract with a measurable technological function. The foam it creates is responsible for part of the visual identity and sensory character of Sultan Lokum.

It is also important to clarify a common misunderstanding. Soapwort extract is not household soap and it is not a chemical bleach. It is a traditional plant extract used in controlled food-production contexts. Its whitening effect is not a bleaching reaction in the industrial chemical sense. It comes primarily from foam formation, air incorporation and light scattering.v

A good Sultan Lokum is not merely white. It should also be soft, elastic and stable. Dirik (2009), in experiments involving pomegranate Sultan Lokum, notes that Sultan Lokum has a whiter colour and a more elastic structure compared with plain lokum. This observation is technologically meaningful. The air incorporated through soapwort foam changes the internal architecture of the product. The mass becomes lighter, less dense and more flexible.

The texture of lokum depends on several factors: sugar concentration, starch gelatinisation, water content, acidity, cooking time, cooling and storage conditions. In Sultan Lokum, an additional factor is introduced: the foam system formed by soapwort extract. This system gives the product a more delicate, cushion-like structure. It reduces the impression of heaviness and supports the elastic bite that consumers often associate with high-quality Sultan Lokum.

However, this structure must be controlled carefully. If the mass is undercooked, it may become sticky or unstable. If it is overheated, it may develop a yellowish shade and heavier caramel notes. If the foam is weak, the product may look pale but lack true lightness. If moisture is not controlled, the surface may become wet, sticky or dull. Therefore, the whiteness of Sultan Lokum is not a superficial sign; it is linked to production discipline.

Although soapwort extract explains the specific whiteness of Sultan Lokom, the base mass is equally important. Lokum is built on a cooked sugar-starch system. Starch gives body, sugar gives sweetness and glassy structure, water controls softness, and acid influences the cooking process and final texture. If this base is not prepared correctly, soapwort foam cannot compensate for the defect.

A well-made Sultan Lokum requires a balanced sugar-starch matrix that can hold the foam without collapsing. The base must be cooked enough to develop structure, but not so much that it darkens or becomes tough. It must retain enough moisture to remain soft, but not so much that it becomes sticky or loses shape. This is why the white colour of Sultan Lokum should always be evaluated together with elasticity, surface condition and mouthfeel.

Kadak (2024) treats lokum quality as a combination of measurable and sensory parameters, including moisture, sugar, starch, pH, appearance, taste, smell and elasticity. This approach is useful for understanding Sultan Lokum as well. A product can be white and still be poor if it is rubbery, watery, overly sticky or dull in flavour. True quality comes from the relationship between colour, structure and sensory balance.

Not every Sultan Lokum has the same shade of white. Some samples are bright white, while others are cream-coloured or slightly yellowish. A very pale cream tone may be normal, depending on the sugar, starch, cooking conditions and the form of soapwort extract used. But a strong yellow shade may indicate excessive heating, prolonged cooking, raw-material variation or storage-related changes.

The colour also depends on the type and quality of soapwort preparation. Çam (2010) examined soapwort extract, soapwort concentrate and soapwort powder, measuring visible colour values and evaluating their performance in Sultan Lokum and halva. In that study, correctly prepared soapwort-derived materials did not create statistically significant differences in visible colour when compared with commercial soapwort extract in lokum samples. This suggests that the production method of the extract can be modernised, but must remain controlled.

If fruit purées, nut pastes, natural colourants or spices are added, the final product may no longer remain purely white. This is not necessarily a defect. In many premium products, the white Sultan Lokum base is used as a visual background for pistachio, pomegranate, rose, hazelnut or cream fillings. The key is that the base should remain clean, stable and consistent.

White colour is an important sign of Sultan Lokum identity, but it is not enough by itself. A high-quality Sultan Lokum should be white or softly matte, but also elastic, clean in aroma, stable in shape, pleasant in sweetness and free from raw starch odour. If the product is white but too sticky, wet, rubbery or fragile, the technology is not balanced.

This is especially important for consumers. A product can be made to look white from the outside by coating it with coconut, starch or powdered sugar. But this does not make it true Sultan Lokum. The defining feature is the internal foam-based technology created with soapwort extract. External coating changes the surface. Soapwort foam changes the mass itself.

For producers, the difference is even more important. Sultan Lokum requires accurate control of foaming, mixing, cooking, cooling and storage. It is a product where visual identity and structural quality cannot be separated.

Sultan Lokum is frequently used in rolled Turkish delight products because its white and elastic mass is suitable for shaping, wrapping and filling. A stable white base gives strong visual contrast with pistachios, hazelnuts, pomegranate seeds, dried fruits, rose petals or nut creams. Its elastic structure helps the product hold shape during rolling and slicing.

This is why Sultan Lokum has become associated with premium presentation. It is not only a traditional confectionery form, but also a flexible base for modern Turkish delight rolls. Its whiteness makes fillings more visible. Its elasticity makes cutting cleaner. Its softer structure makes the eating experience more delicate.

Sultan Lokum is white because of a traditional but scientifically explainable process. Soapwort root extract, rich in saponins, is whipped into a stable white foam. This foam introduces fine air bubbles into the sugar-starch lokum mass. The bubbles scatter light, making the mass opaque, matte and white. At the same time, they contribute to volume, softness and elasticity.

For this reason, Sultan Lokum should not be understood as ordinary Turkish delight with a white coating. It is a distinct technological category within Turkish delight. Its colour, texture and identity come from the interaction between soapwort extract, saponins, foam physics and the cooked sugar-starch matrix. A good Sultan Lokum is not only white; it is soft, elastic, clean in flavour and stable in form.

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