In Bursa, northwestern Türkiye, a sweet that is only made during Ramadan and whose recipe is kept as a closely guarded secret is in high demand.
Ramadan halva (Ramazan helvası) was first made in 1960 by Helvacıoğlu, and as it became highly popular, demand for it grew. Since then, the sweet has continued to be made by his grandson, Mehmet Çolakgil. The Ramadan sweet, which has preserved its flavor for three generations, is prepared by mixing flour, water and oil, then soaking it in a sweet syrup.
The recipe, known only to the family, is never shared with anyone and the halva, which is prepared exclusively for the month of Ramadan, is in high demand. People from outside the city also come to taste this delicacy. Mehmet Çolakgil, who stated that the formula for the sweet is a closely guarded secret, said: "I am the third-generation producer of Helvacıoğlu. We have been doing this work for about 110 years. We produce it in the traditional way passed down from our grandfather and we do it classically."
He continued: "We never use glucose in our products. This sweet is an ancient one that is specific to Bursa and only made during Ramadan. It is generally made by halva makers. It does not contain yeast and we don’t use it. The sweet contains flour, oil, sugar and secret ingredients."
"However, we do not share the exact formula for these special additions, as it is a tradition passed down from our father and grandfather, and we never tell anyone our secret. Therefore, we cannot give out the recipe. We absolutely do not use any additives. Our products are always high quality and healthy," he said.
Çolakgil mentioned that they struggle to meet the demand for Ramadan halva, explaining that it is made by hand and without machines. He said: "Our sweet is only produced during Ramadan, and we can’t make them all the time. We usually sell it by weight, and we try to deliver it to our customers in the afternoon. However, on some days, we may not have enough product due to limited production."
"This is because we make the sweet entirely by hand, without using any machines. For this reason, we cannot produce it in large quantities. It is sold for TL 400 ($11) per kilogram, and the price remains fixed during Ramadan. We maintain this price until the end of Ramadan."
