Mulberry Molasses / Dut Pekmezi

A beloved Turkish ingredient, Mulberry Molasses, or Dut Pekmezi, is a rich and complex fruit-based syrup, featuring sweet, floral, fruity, slightly malty, and smoky notes all at once.

An image of two jars filled with amber coloured Dut Pekmezi, sitting on a white background.

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What is mulberry molasses / dut pekmezi?
Where to find mulberry molasses / dut pekmezi
Ways to use mulberry molasses / dut pekmezi
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What is mulberry molasses / dut pekmezi?

Rich in vitamins and minerals, and long used in folk healing as well as in cuisine, pekmez or fruit molasses has a long history dating back to the 11th century in Anatolia, and even earlier in the Roman and Greek Empires. Other varieties of pekmez or fruit molasses can be made from grape, carob, date, fig, apple, pomegranate, and even juniper berry.

Unlike cane or beet sugar derived molasses, which feature deep, smoky, and slightly bitter-tinged sweetness, Mulberry Molasses, or Dut Pekmezi, is a much brighter, fruitier, and fresher tasting preparation. This brunette coloured, fruit-based syrup reveals jeweled amber tones while pouring or drizzling, and is made from boiling pressed fresh or dried mulberries, often without the additions of other sugars.

An image of a jar of Dut Pekmezi sitting on a white counter.

Where to find mulberry molasses / dut pekmezi

You can find Mulberry Molasses and other pekmez varieties in any Turkish market, in some international or European focused grocers, Middle Eastern shops, or online specialty vendors. If you happen to live in the Toronto area, you can find varieties of pekmez here. Look for brands that do not contain additional sugar in the ingredients if that is something that is important to you.

Ways to use mulberry molasses / dut pekmezi

Mulberry Molasses or Dut Pekmezi is a wonderful ingredient to add to other simple foodstuffs as a condiment in its own right - drizzled on some buttered bread or a stack of crepes, stirred into hot or iced tea, spooned into yogurt or oatmeal, or spread on toast. It adds a sweet, fruity, and spring-like character to the dressing of my Spring Salad and it would make a great substitute for balsamic vinegar or cane molasses in recipes that feature or pair well with fruit or other sweet ingredients. Like other natural liquid sweeteners it has the potential to be used in numerous ways once you have it stocked in your pantry and on hand to experiment with.