Dondourma, Turkish-style ice cream, is more chewy than creamy. The elastic consistency is traditionally provided by sahlep, the powdered tuber of a Middle Eastern orchid, but in recent years the orchid has become increasingly endangered and Turkish sahlep has been barred from export.
A common substitute is konjac powder, derived from the corm of a plant that grows abundantly in East and Southeast Asia. Even if you spent your formative years chewing on dondourma in Istanbul, you might find it difficult to detect the difference. Here konjac adds its distinctive texture to a cup ($4) of spiced date ice cream.
Lezzetli
See website for locations
www.LezzetliIceCream.com
