Éma, Syrian Ice Cream from Bakdash in Damascus
If you're in the mood for a sugar coma, read Paris-based blogger Marianna's latest posts at Swirl and Scramble about her recent trip to Syria and Lebanon. I'm currently obsessing over her photos of éma, a kind of Syrian ice cream, from famed ice cream parlor Bakdash in the Souk al-Hamidiyeh. Marianna says that the ice cream—made of whole milk, mastica (which gives the ice cream its chewy texture), and rose water—is a specialty of Syria not easily found in other Middle Eastern countries. The ice cream is manually churned, scooped into cups and cones, and given a generous coating of pistachios before your eyes. Marianna calls it a must see and a must taste if you're in Damascus. Now I know where I want to go for my next vacation.
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7 Comments:
Mmmm. I love pistachios!
dhorst at 3:25PM on 01/09/09
I've had this at a fairly authentic place in the Toronto area, and it's pretty good, but the chewy, almost chewing gum-like texture is a bit off-putting. I think it's somewhat of an acquired taste, as a lot of my relatives (who grew up with it) love it.
MichaelN at 5:19PM on 01/09/09
This sounds very similar to Turkish dondurma, which also contains mastic and is chewy.
The most famous region for dondurma is Kahramanmaraş, but you can get it just about anywhere. Dondurma comes in different flavors and can be dipped in the chopped nuts of your choice, as well as in hot chocolate sauce, which immediately freezes and forms a chocolate shell around the dondurma.
Every time you order dondurma, you get a show.
Mizgin at 5:20PM on 01/09/09
mark bittman did a piece about this in the times. he & harold mcgee (i think) made a similar recipe using cornstarch in the ice cream base.
dmarina at 6:09PM on 01/09/09
Recipes anyone?
K9Lover72 at 12:23PM on 01/10/09
...and is there anyplace in, say, Sunnyside, Sheepshead Bay or Astoria that serves it?
hatless at 11:28PM on 01/10/09
Ooh, that looks good. It reminds me of Iranian ice cream, which also has pistachios, mastic and rosewater in it (along with frozen chunks of heavy cream). Nom.
yogurtsoda at 2:30PM on 01/11/09