Dondurma

Dondurma (literally Turkish for "freezing") is the name given to ice cream in Turkey and Azerbaijan. Dondurma typically includes the ingredients milk, sugar, salep, and mastic. It is believed to originate from the city and region of Maraş and hence also known as Maraş Ice Cream.

Description

Two qualities distinguish Turkish ice cream: texture and resistance to melting, brought about by inclusion of the thickening agents salep, a flour made from the root of the Early Purple Orchid, and mastic, a resin that imparts chewiness.

The Kahramanmaraş region is known for maraş dondurması, a variety which contains distinctly more salep than usual; tough and sticky, it is sometimes eaten with a knife and fork.

Consumption and culture

Dondurma is commonly sold from both street vendor's carts and store fronts where the mixture is churned regularly with long-handled paddles to keep it workable. Vendors often tease the customer by serving the ice cream cone on a stick, and then taking away the dondurma with the stick by rotating it around, before finally giving it to the customer. This sometimes results in misunderstandings among customers unfamiliar with the practice.