The Turkish Ice Cream That Has The Texture Of Taffy

Turkish cuisine boasts renowned desserts, with phyllo-based creations like künefe and baklava garnering special attention. In addition to offering delicious flavors, the country's sweet treats delight in their texture, whether by integrating a nutty crunch, a cheesy pull, or tasty chew. Such an enthralling — and fun — approach to dessert-making even applies to ice cream, as seen in the dish dondurma.

Dondurma is traditionally crafted with goat milk, sugar, salep, and oftentimes mastic, which is a favorite cocktail ingredient of Jose Andres. The combinations of these ingredients, as well as a unique production method, lends the ice cream a unique taffy texture. While stretchy and slow to melt, the dish is nonetheless creamy, with a cold and refreshing mouthfeel. Such qualities make it a favorite of ice-cream vendors across the country, who sell the dish with theatrics; twirling the sticky dondurma in the air around customers. And when enjoyed in a restaurant, the dessert's unique texture warrants a fork and knife, lending it a custard-like experience. Upheld by a traditional heritage, it's a frozen treat worth seeking out.

Dondurma's strong link to its origin — the city of Maraş — helps reveal its unique qualities. The city sits on the foot of Ahir Mountain, which provides the ideal environment for the ice cream's components. Goats graze on the slopes, providing tasty milk for the creamy base. The consistently dry climate is ideal for orchid growth, which are harvested, and the roots turned into the salep powder. And like ice cream made from snow, in olden times, residents would obtain ice from the mountain peak to craft the treat.

Once assembly starts, mastic — which comes from pine resin — is often mixed with beet sugar beforehand. The sticky addition adds further stretchiness, as well as introduces a characteristic piney flavor. Some producers use it as the central flavor, while others incorporate extracts of chocolate and fruits to the ice cream mixture. Then, the components are added to the milk, all the while being whisked, followed by cooling to a frozen state. Afterwards, the ice cream's repeatedly pulled and kneaded, which further increases elasticity. It's a crafty method of making ice cream sans machine.

Since salep can only be foraged, many producers turn to other stabilizers like guar gum for the unique texture. And with creation across Turkey, ingredients often shift, with goat milk replaced with cow and other alternatives. Nevertheless, the appeal of dondurma pervades around the country — it's a source of enjoyment and pride, especially to the citizens of Maraş.