Macun (in Turkish also Macun şekeri) is a soft, sweet and colorful Turkish toffee paste.^[1][2] It is a street food that may be prepared with many herbs and spices. Macun originated from spicy preparations of Mesir macunu,^[3] a traditional Turkish herbal paste from the classical antiquity period. During classical antiquity, macun was consumed as a pharmaceutical medicine. It was historically served in a round tray with separate compartments for the various flavors, a serving style that has continued into modern times. The consumption of macun is a part of some Turkish customs.

Macun is a street food that is often sold outdoors,^[1] especially during street festivals (panayır). It is a popular sweet among children.^[1] The color of various macuns may be vivid or bright.^[2] Macun may be prepared with a great deal of herbs and spices.^[4] Ingredients to flavor macun have traditionally included bergamot, cinnamon, mastic, mint, rose, lemon and plum.^[1]

Macun originated from spicy preparations of Mesir macunu,^[3] a traditional herbal paste from classical antiquity.^[1] During classical antiquity, macun was consumed as a pharmaceutical medicine.^[1]

Macun was purported to have therapeutic effects to give the body strength and to calm one's spirit.^[1] Islamic physicians have prepared hundreds of different varieties of macun.^[1] The various herbs and spices used were mixed with honey in macun preparation, the latter of which also served to preserve the product.^[1] Various macuns have been served and consumed as both a medicine and as a confectionery (sweetmeats).^[1] During the Ottoman period, macun named Neruz macunu, also referred to as nevruziyye, was consumed as both a medicine and confectionery.^[1]

During the 17th century in Turkey, the dervish Seyyid Hasan denoted the consumption of two flavors of macun, respectively flavored with mint and sweet flag.^[1] These macun varieties were served at meals he consumed with other dervishes and friends.^[1] Hasan was a part of the Sunbuliyye mystic order, as its sheikh.^[1]

Macun is typically served in a round tin tray that has separate triangular-shaped compartments.^[1] It may be served by scooping using a macuncu mablaği or macunkeș, which is shaped like a screwdriver.^[1] The macun is scooped and then wrapped around a small stick.^[1][2] This may be done with alternate flavors, which creates a striped sweet.^[1] In Turkey, people that serve macun may be referred to as macuncu.^[1]

In the past in Turkey, the serving trays were constructed from copper or wood, and street vendors would stand the macun trays upon portable tripods.^[1] Others would carry macun in a container strapped to their waist with a belt, whereby the container had separate compartments for various flavors of the macun.^[1] Some macun vendors in Istanbul, Turkey, would try to attract customers and compete with other vendors by playing music.^[1] Street vendors would purvey macun to people at the Hıdırellez spring festival, on market days, holidays, at wedding processions,^[1] and at other times.

In the Anatolia region, it is a wedding custom for the groom to eat macun on the night of his wedding.^[4] The mesir bayrami ceremony in Manisa, Turkey, involves the distribution of macun to people on the streets.^[4]

• List of Turkish desserts
• List of desserts

• "Şişli'de iftar vakti". Cumhuriyet Gazetesi (in Turkish). June 22, 2015. Retrieved December 27, 2015.

• Ottoman toffee