What is Mastic Ice Cream?

Kindi Lantz febrero 14, 2025

Mastic ice cream is not a new-age culinary fad but has been around for hundreds of years—rising out of the Ottoman Empire in Turkey, where it is referred to as Dondurma, and Greece, where it is referred to as Kaimak. It is so much more than a sweet and creamy dessert like the ice creams you are used to (though it's that too), traditional mastic ice cream is a textural experience. Concocted from the resinous sap (known as Mastic Gum and many other names) of the Mastic Tree, Pistacia Lentiscus, dondurma boasts a certain firmness not found in most other ice cream varieties.

How is Mastic Ice Cream Different from Other Ice Cream?

Mastic Ice Cream Employs Tree Resin

To understand what mastic ice cream is, one first needs to be schooled on what mastic is. Mastic is known by many names—mastiha, mastic gum, tears of Chios, and mastic tears being among the most prevalent terms. It is the hardened sap from the Pistacia Lentiscus tree, presented in small, translucent, off-white, or light yellow-tinted, tear-like drops (though the drops are not uniform in shape).

These drops are first frozen. Why? The mastic needs to be ground into a fine powder. However, because they are a hardened resin, they will become sticky if it is warmed up. The friction from grinding creates enough heat to warm room temperature mastic tears up enough to create a sticky goo, rather than creating the desired powder. Freezing ahead of time will allow you to grind your mastic tears into a powder before they are too warm to work with. Tip: grind your mastic with sugar to further prevent clumping.

The Flavor of Mastic Tears is Extraordinary

While mastic gum is frequently used in Middle Eastern recipes, it is still a rare ingredient in most places. That’s not to say it isn’t gaining in popularity in recent times. With the quick-spread of information from social media, people are beginning to take notice of the superb flavor of mastic, herbaceous and piney with notes of citrus. As you can imagine, that flavor combination is quite effective in livening a recipe and adding a somewhat refreshing tone.

Mastic Ice Cream Has a Unique Texture

Neither Dondurma nor Kaimaki are texturally similar to ice cream you might be used to. They are chewy, stretchy, firm, and typically eaten with a knife and fork alongside baklava and/or Turkish coffee, although Turkish street vendors typically serve it in a cone. While the addition of mastic does alter the consistency, contributing to the elasticity of the ice cream, it is the inclusion of another ingredient that is behind the primary textural components: salep. Salep root flour is made from the dried, ground tubers of orchid flowers. It helps in developing the notable firmness and stretchiness of mastic ice cream recipes.

The process of making mastic ice cream also impacts its notable texture. Mastic ice cream is typically worked and re-worked to increase its stretchiness. While an ice cream maker can be used for part of the process it is traditionally hand-churned. Once churned it will be hand-pulled or turned using a paddle. This process gives the ice cream an almost taffy-like texture.

Mastic Ice Cream is Slow to Melt

Thanks to mastic, salep powder, and the overall firm, stretchy texture of this ice cream, it resists melting. Even at a slightly warmer temperature, it holds its shape much longer than other ice cream varieties.