Mastic ice cream facts for kids
.jpg)
Mastic ice cream is a special kind of ice cream. It is very stretchy and sticky. This ice cream gets its name from a unique spice called mastic. Mastic is a plant resin that gives the ice cream its chewy texture.
This unique ice cream is popular in Arab countries and Turkey. The original recipe came from Turkey. For a long time, the way to make it was a secret. In the mid-1800s, a trader from Syria learned the secret recipe in Istanbul. He then took it to Damascus. There, he made his own version of the ice cream. His recipe made the ice cream lighter and airier. He then sold this new ice cream to other Arab countries. Mastic spice is quite expensive and hard to find. Because of this, many ice cream makers now use glucose instead of mastic. Glucose helps make the ice cream stretchy, just like mastic.
Contents
Types of Mastic Ice Cream
There are two main types of mastic ice cream. Each type has its own special features.
Turkish Mastic Ice Cream: Dondurma
Turkish mastic ice cream is also known as dondurma. Its full name is Maraş dondurması (Turkish: Maraş dondurması), which means "ice cream of Maraş city." This is the original type of mastic ice cream. It is much thicker and heavier than the Arabic version. Dondurma has more fat because it uses a lot of sweet cream.
In the past, people living in the mountains made dondurma. They used snow, goat milk, mastic, and dried orchid powder. This orchid powder comes from special plant roots. In southeast Turkey, the ice cream was very solid and sticky. This was because of the orchid flower powder that grew there. This ice cream is so firm that you often need a knife and fork to eat it!
Arabic Mastic Ice Cream: Booza
Arabic mastic ice cream is called Booza (Arabic: الآيس كريم واللبن). This means "milk ice cream." Booza is very stretchy and elastic. It is also very sticky. This stickiness helps it melt more slowly in hot Arab countries. Booza is softer than the Turkish dondurma.
In Iraq, people often eat this ice cream on square wooden sticks. Booza is most common in Syria and Lebanon. Some ice cream sellers like to entertain tourists. They grind the mastic resin with a mortar and pestle. They often sing and play music while they do it. In the old city of Damascus, there is a famous ice cream shop called "Bakdash." It is well-known throughout the Arab world for its Arabic mastic ice cream. Many tourists visit this shop, especially those from Arab countries.
Images for kids
-
Turkish desserts served with ice cream
See also
In Spanish: Maraş dondurması para niños
