Oh, such sweet temptation

The Sweet Tooth Monster wouldn't have stood a chance at the SA Sweet and Snack Expo, held at The Dome, Johannesburg, at the weekend.

There was a candy sculpting competition and sugar art, and sweet, cake and cupcake competitions.

For Yotti's Turkish Delight owner Andrea Joannides the expo was an opportunity to showcase the delicious pink treat, which dates back 230 years.

"To win a woman's heart, a man must give her Turkish delight," she said.

Yotti's products - all made from local ingredients - include cupcakes, cheesecake, baklava, kourabiethes and meringues.

Joannides and her staff of just over 30 recently formulated a liquid form of Turkish delight made from sugar, water, corn starch and flavourings that can be used as a dessert sauce.

Pastry chef Nicolas van der Walt, using a magnifying glass, created a 2cm-square chocolate painting in front of an enthralled audience.

Rose Gorgiev, of Flavourex Handmade Cheese, said the passion for cheese of her parents-in-law, who established the business, could be traced back to their days in Macedonia.

"They arrived here 13 years ago and had to make a living. People were starting to embrace healthier diets and there was a need for natural cheese and milk products," said Gorgiev.

Flavourex, which is based in Fourways, Johannesburg, makes a range of cheeses free of preservatives, additives and colorants - all made from cow's and goat's milk.

Gorgiev said products made from goat's milk were growing in popularity and were preferred by the elderly and people who were lactose-intolerant

Olive specialist and owner of Laharna Produce, Skooby Schoeman, said his enterprise's products accommodated a variety of tastes.

The olives, produced on a farm in Western Cape, soak in salt water for between eight and 12 months before being used to make oils, jam, chutney, pastes, dips and pesto.

"Good olives are made like good wine. It takes time," Schoeman said.

Laharna olives include flavoured and infused versions such as rosemary, lemon, smoked, or stuffed with garlic and chilli.