My hometown is famous with its Maras Dondurma (Maras Ice cream). This ice cream is little different than the regular ice cream known. Two features separate Maras Ice Cream from others, texture and resistance to melting. It is much tougher and chewier than that of the ice cream used in sundaes, gelato or other produced ice creams. The unusual texture is produced by the use of salep (flour made from dried orchid tubers) and mastic gum as thickening agents, together with other flavorings. It is sometimes sold from carts as street food, where the mixture is churned regularly with long-handled paddles to keep it workable.
