Ali invites Tai to try Turkish ice- cream called dondurma, and she happily does.
Tai describes her lemon-flavored dondurma as chewy and stretchy,
Have you ever tasted ice cream that was chewy and stretchy?
Can you think of what could make ice cream different from place to place ?
If you said the ingredients, then you are right!
Gum called mastic is taken from mastic trees found in places like Turkey. It is this mastic gum that gives the ice- cream its stretchy texture. Powdered orchid bulbs called salep, makes the ice- cream firm and chewy.
Dondurma sellers turn the ice- cream with long metal rods and knead it like dough to keep the texture.
It’s sticky texture can lead to a lot of fun when you buy one. Playful dondurma sellers will often put your grabbing skills to the test!