Turkish Ice Cream
Maras Dondurma
Traditional Turkish ice cream is sweet, creamy, stretchy, and chewy at the same time. This stretchy texture is thanks to the inclusion of a starchy root of wild orchids called salep.Salep a special type of powdered orchid bulb. These orchids are endemic to the Kahramanmaras region of Turkey and traditional Turkish ice cream dondurma was first made in this city centuries ago.In addition to salep, the traditional dondurma recipe is based on goat's milk and sugar.In some parts of the country, Turkish dondurma is also made with an aromatic resin called gum mastic. This gum mastic is harvested from gum trees grown on the Aegean coast of Türkiye and Greece.
Tricks of the Trade
The chewy and stretchy texture of the ice cream was achieved by hand churning of the ice cream. Apart from the use of Salep as an essential ingredient, the extensive churning and stretching of the ice cream makes it so special. Not only the taste and texture, the ice cream is sold in a fun way, wherein the vendors wear a traditional Turkish attire and ring a bell to invite the guests to their store and the ice cream is served after an intersting presentation.
Maras Sliced Ice Cream
Have you ever eaten ice cream with a knife and fork before? Maraş dondurma contains more of the stick and thick salep than the standard variety, which gives it a particular resistance to melting. It’s, therefore, generally eaten using cutlery at cafes all around Türkiye.