Turkish Stretch Ice Cream (Maraş Dondurması)
Maraş Dondurması Say it: mah-RAHS dohn-DOOR-mah-suh
Dondurma is Turkey's famously dense, elastic ice cream, especially associated with Kahramanmaraş. It is made from milk, sugar, orchid-root salep and mastic, which give it a chewy, stretchy texture and a faintly resinous, floral flavor. Sold from shops that tease and flip it, dondurma is eaten as a street treat and dessert, often with fruit. Its unusual pull and slow melt make it unlike any ordinary ice cream.
Turkish Stretch Ice Cream (Maraş Dondurması)
Maraş Dondurması
Pronounced mah-RAHS dohn-DOOR-mah-suh
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 1 hr
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: contains milk. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Dondurma base
Method
Freeze the ice cream maker bowl according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If using mastic resin, pound it with 1 tsp of the sugar in a mortar until it is a fine, sandy powder; if using mastic extract, set it aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the salep and remaining sugar together. Gradually whisk in the milk in a thin stream until smooth and no dry salep lumps remain.
Pour the mixture into a medium saucepan and add the crushed mastic resin, if using. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 10–12 minutes; it should steam but not boil hard.
Remove from the heat and stir in the mastic extract, if using. Cool for 10 minutes, then cover and refrigerate until very cold, at least 4 hours or overnight.
Pour the chilled base into the ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions until thick, pale, and visibly pulling away from the sides of the bowl, 25–35 minutes.
Scrape into a freezer-safe container, press a sheet of plastic wrap onto the surface, and freeze until firm enough to scoop, 4–6 hours.
To serve, let the dondurma stand at room temperature for 5–10 minutes, then scoop and stretch it with a spoon or knife; it should be dense, smooth, and slightly chewy.
Regional variants
Some shops ripple fruit syrup through dondurma or serve it with fresh fruit; in Maraş it is often pressed into a loaf and sliced. A cornstarch shortcut can be used when salep is scarce, but the texture will be less elastic.
Cook's notes
- Salep is essential for dondurma's chew; use pure salep rather than a sweetened instant drink mix. If pure salep is unavailable, 1 tbsp (8 g) cornstarch plus 1/2 tsp guar gum will thicken the base, but it will not give the traditional stretch.
- Crush mastic resin to a fine powder with a little sugar so it distributes evenly; large pieces can taste bitter.
- For the best texture, churn the base until it visibly pulls from the sides, then freeze only until firm, not rock-hard.
Serve with
Serve plain, with fresh cherries or apricots, or alongside Turkish tea.
Make ahead and storage
The base keeps covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. Freeze churned dondurma up to 1 week; soften 5–10 minutes before serving.
