Stretchy Turkish Ice Cream: Maraş Dondurma

Tastes of Anatolia comes with a pallet of great variety, sometimes in their simplest forms. One of these tastes is the delicious and stretchy Turkish ice cream originating from Kahramanmaraş province, located in the Mediterranean region. With its simplistic form and unique aspects combined with its traditional serving style, the ice cream of Maraş is a must-to-try. This taste made by special goat milk fused with special orchids and resins used to be a secret formula for the Ottomans. The recipe was held sacredly by the people of Maraş and sold nationwide, as this ice cream had to be made in Kahramanmaraş. As the years passed, the influence of Maraş ice cream received global attention, and it can be found in many locations worldwide now. Usually sold by vendors out in streets and storefronts, Maraş ice cream is served over a cone by vendors with traditional clothing. As vendors prepare and serve ice cream mixture via their long slick sticks, they have some special figures in which they juke the customer in numerous ways before serving them their ice cream.

Production of Maraş Ice Cream

There are different recipes on how to make the Maraş ice cream that differs from region to region. However, the most known and traditional way of making this ice cream has a long history tracing way back to Turkish Anatolian Beyliks. Original Maraş ice cream is made out of the milk of goats that live in the skirts of Ahır Mountain. After this milk has gone through the required process, it is heated up to 90 degrees to cleanse it from dangerous bacteria. After its refinement, ice cream is combined with special flour made from the root of the orchid named salep. Then, Maraş ice cream is left to rest for 6-8 hours in -6 Celsius degrees. Its serving differs from place to place as sometimes it is served in thin slices, or a vendor has a little show of juke-and-play before you are given the ice cream over the cone. This unique ice cream has to be only made out of the milk of goats feeding on special orchids, hyacinths, and thyme. As with the strong texture of goat milk and usage of resin and salep in the production of Maraş ice cream, it has a stretchy and though character along with its fantastic taste.

Because this ice cream made without any industrially produced ingredient, it is able to preserve its freshness for more than a year if it is kept safe under -15 degrees. 220 million litres of Maraş ice cream is consumed worldwide yearly, and Turkey exports Maraş ice cream to more than 100 countries.

Full of vitamins, calcium, phosphor, magnesium, sodium and various minerals, Maraş ice cream is a healthy dessert to have. Since it has no excess amount of sugar and dangerous ingredients, it is an ice cream for every age.

Famous Vendors of Maraş Dondurma

Along with the unique taste that Maraş ice cream possesses, one thing that makes it unique is the way it is served. Men or women dressed in traditional Ottoman-type uniforms use their long metal sticks constantly to knead their ice creams in their specially decorated counters. Whenever a customer approaches their stand, they start their show with their sudden moves and jingling bells. They use special tricks to fool their customers, swiftly moving the stick, cone, and ice cream. This process is a must for the vendors of Maraş ice cream, and it is a great show to watch. Along with its unique serving style in the streets, Maraş ice cream is also cut in thin slices with a butcher knife in restaurants. With its stretchy form and quality taste, Maraş ice cream is a refreshing taste from Turkey.