Established in 1864, sweetmeat store's most popular items include Turkish delight, baklava
Hafiz Mustafa, which is one of Istanbul's most famous confectioneries, now exports 50 varieties of its Turkish delight.
The sweetmeat store was established in 1864 by Ismail Hakkı Bey in the Bahcekapi neighborhood of Istanbul’s Fatih district, where he started to produce rock candy.
It swiftly became famous for its various kind of sweets and is now run by the Ongunlar family.
One hundred and fifty-seven years on, the management says it has never compromised on the quality and is loyal to the customary way of making its world-famous Turkish delight, baklava, and other delicacies.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Emre Ongurlar, a senior company executive, said Hafiz Mustafa is traditionalist yet innovative. “We use authentic recipes that we inherited from old times," he said, adding that they still aim to introduce new varieties.
Saying that the company regards itself as an ambassador of Turkey, Ongurlar said that they are trying to keep the Ottoman culture alive through the decoration of their stores, and staff uniforms.
Ongurlar said that Colombian writer Francisco Leal Quevedo, who wrote the book, Los Secretos de Hafiz Mustafa (Secrets of Hafiz Mustafa), will soon come to Istanbul, and his book will be translated into Turkish.
*Writing by Ahmet Gencturk in Ankara
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