Traditional Maras Ice Cream and Its History
Turkey's Maraş ice cream (Maraş ice cream) takes its name from the district located on the outskirts of Kahramanmaraş's district known as Maraş for short. At the foot of Mount Ahir. It is a sweet that is consumed fondly all over Turkey. Its thick texture and taste make it different from the classic Italian gelato, and it's definitely worth a try. The secret of this type of ice cream is that there are ingredients unique to these lands. These include "salep" or "sahlep", the powdered tubers of a purple orchid that grows only around Mount Ahir and makes ice cream harder. In addition to salep, Maraş ice cream contains gum arabic, which is a gum chewier resin, and goat's milk obtained from goats in Ahir Mountain.
You may wonder how this ice cream came to be. In fact, there are many legends and stories about its origin. One of the highlights concerns an Ottoman man named Osman Ağa. Legend has it that Osman Ağa would sell sahlep, a hot drink made from the powder of orchid tubers and milk, to Ottoman mansions. One day most of his crop remained unsold and he decided to bury it in the snow so it wouldn't turn sour. It had turned into ice cream when you got it the other day! This is how Maraş ice cream was born!
Goat milk with added sugar is heated slowly for Maraş ice cream. In advance, mastic gum is finely ground and mixed with sugar. Then, salep powder is added to the mixture. The mixture is whipped until the desired density is achieved. It is then left to cool at room temperature and kept in the freezer overnight. This excellent preparation technique and carefully selected ingredients make Maraş ice cream relatively resistant to melting – one of the many reasons why it is so popular!
However, Maraş ice cream is not just about that. It has developed a unique story and tradition for 300 years and at the center of this story is the Turkish city of Maraş.
When you visit Turkey, you see Maraş ice cream shops. The delicacy of the local Maraş clothes reflecting the traditions of the region. One of the first things that come to mind when it comes to Maraş ice cream, peddlers play games to ridicule their customers. The simple but fun trick is basically, they serve the ice cream cone on a stick and then roll it back while the customer tries to get it from them. Therefore, it will likely take some time for you to actually receive your order! While this may cause a misunderstanding among customers unfamiliar with the app, those in the know will surely make the most of this much-loved ice cream prank.
We strongly recommend that you enjoy it for many years. It is hard work and tradition that brought Maraş ice cream to what it is today. Just follow the sound of the swinging bell and you will find the way to a delicious feast!
