Dondurma: The Stretchy Turkish Ice Cream That Defies Expectations

Dondurma is ice cream like you’ve never seen before: it stretches, it resists, and it’s even served with a bit of showmanship. Vendors twirl it on long metal sticks, flip cones upside down, and playfully trick customers before handing over the treat. But behind the fun lies an ancient and fascinating tradition.

The magic of dondurma comes from two key ingredients: salep, a flour made from the root of a wild orchid, and mastic, a natural resin. Salep gives dondurma its chewy, elastic texture — almost like taffy — while mastic adds a subtle pine-like aroma and chewiness.

This ice cream doesn’t melt quickly, and it’s eaten more slowly than the varieties we're used to. In Turkey, especially in regions like Kahramanmaraş where dondurma is said to have originated, it’s a point of pride — a frozen symbol of heritage.

Today, dondurma is more than a dessert — it’s a performance, a memory, a conversation. It invites us to experience ice cream with new eyes (and new hands!).