An ice cream so thick and chewy that it can be eaten with a knife and fork and doesn't start melting all over you on a hot summer's day? Yep, such a miracle product exists and it's called Turkish ice cream or maraş dondurması, after the Kahramanmaraş region where this tasty treat is believed to have originated.
The two key ingredients that give Turkish ice cream its unique consistency are salep and mastic. Salep is made from wild orchid tubers and acts as a thickening agent, while mastic resin or gum mastic comes from an evergreen tree in the pistachio family that makes the ice cream stretchy and adds a natural piney aroma and flavour.
Come see just how dense this ice cream is and the show you get when you buy one.
10 Things to do in Istanbul
Wednesday 30th of December 2015
[…] For something sweet, a traditional Turkish ice cream might take your fancy. Check out this vlog post that gives you the scoop on how to tell the difference between a Turkish ic… […]
Jess @UsedYorkCity
Thursday 26th of June 2014
This was an incredible video! I love that he was able to do such a performance, wow! Makes me even more curious about the taste/texture now!
Jessica Korteman
Sunday 29th of June 2014
Thanks Jess! It was quite the show haha And it's definitely worth trying to experience the taste and texture for yourself. I quite like the freshness of the subtle "piney" flavour, others hate it. You'll have to come to Turkey and tell me what you think!
Britt Skrabanek
Monday 23rd of June 2014
LOL! That was the best ice cream performance I've ever seen. I didn't think you were ever going to eat it. I must admit, I probably would have started jumping up and down like a spoiled toddler until he gave up the goods.
Jessica Korteman
Monday 23rd of June 2014
Haha "Noooooo fair! Just giiiiive it to meeeeee!" ;) It's classic to see kids' reactions to this. Some get really upset while others are shocked at first before understanding the prank and then enjoying the "magic" show. :)
Photo a Day Project: Weekly Round-up #25 - Notes of Nomads
Friday 20th of June 2014
[…] tracking down and devouring, with great delight we must add, Taksim’s famous wet burger, traditional Turkish ice cream, double roasted lokum and my favourite, […]
Dale
Thursday 19th of June 2014
I could have just watched that guy forever, I didn't think he was every going to give you that ice cream, and every time I thought 'okay, this is it', he'd just steal it again.
Is there a average price for these types of ice creams?
Jessica Korteman
Thursday 19th of June 2014
I know! I think he extended the show a little longer than usual knowing that we were filming it. haha (We asked his permission beforehand).
We paid 7 Turkish lira for this one (about $3.50). These are tourist prices (it was on one of the most popular shopping strips in Istanbul) so you can find cheaper but they tend to put on more of a show in the more touristy areas.
Many visitors want to try Turkish ice cream for the show experience but not every vendor does it or even sells Turkish ice cream (some are just selling regular ice cream), so you'll want to be looking for the vendors dressed up like the guy in the video, with the paddle and the bells.
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