Booza
Arabic Stretchy Ice Cream
Booza is the chewy, elastic ice cream of the Levant, pounded and pulled as it freezes until it turns dense and stretches like taffy. It is built on milk rather than cream and eggs, so it stays clean and light on the tongue, while mastic gum and a little orange blossom or rose water give it the resinous, floral perfume that sets it apart from Western ice creams. Sahlab, the ground orchid root traditionally used to thicken it, lends body and that famous chew, and a shower of crushed pistachios finishes each scoop.
Method
Crush the mastic gum together with about 1/2 tsp of the sugar using the back of a spoon until finely ground; set aside.
In a saucepan, warm the milk over medium heat until steaming, then remove from the heat.
In a small bowl, dissolve the sahlab or cornstarch in a few tablespoons of cold water to make a smooth slurry.
Slowly whisk the slurry into the warm milk, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
Return the pan to medium heat and bring to a gentle boil, stirring continuously.
Stir in the sugar and cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Remove from the heat and stir in the ground mastic and the orange blossom or rose water. Cover and refrigerate until fully chilled, about 2 hours.
Churn the chilled mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions, then transfer to an airtight container and freeze until firm.
Serve topped with crushed pistachios.
Cook’s notes
- Real sahlab can be hard to find, and cornstarch will give you a similar body, but do not leave out the mastic gum, which carries booza's signature flavor.
- Work the mixture hard as it firms up, since the pounding and stretching is what gives booza its chew.
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