"Tulumba is indeed the same stuff as halka tatlisi except the latter is identified by its shape," explained Iraqi-born food writer and food historian, Nawal Nasrallah, who translated the ancient cookbook into English for the first time as Annals of the Caliphs' Kitchens. She explained that many dishes migrated to Istanbul when Arab cooks were employed by the Ottoman sultans to work in their elite kitchens. "And while it's quite possible that Sephardic Jews could have influenced the churro-look of this pastry with its ridged edges, we know that the fried fritters of Muslim Spain were influenced by Middle Eastern cuisine."
