This isn’t your standard scoop-and-serve vanilla. This is closer to what is known as Booza in the Levant—an ice cream thickened with orchid root flour (Sahlab) and mastic resin. The texture is the main draw here; it’s chewy, elastic, and resists melting much longer than egg-based custards. It has a distinctive “pull” that you just don’t get from western ice creams.
I’ll be honest, the first time I made this, I didn’t stir the milk mixture enough while heating it, and I ended up with a layer of burnt sahlab on the bottom of my pot. You really have to keep that wooden spoon moving. This recipe also uses clarified butter (ghee) for fat content, which might sound unusual for ice cream, but it gives it an incredibly rich, dense mouthfeel that heavy cream alone doesn’t quite achieve.
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole milk (keep it cold before mixing)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp Sahlab powder (pure orchid flour is best, but difficult to find; mixes work if you adjust sugar)
- 1 tsp ground mastic (often sold as “Mastic Tears”—grind them with a pinch of sugar)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup clarified butter (ghee), melted but not hot
- 1 cup pistachios, chopped (for coating and rolling)
Instructions
- Dissolve the Base: In a saucepan off the heat, combine the cold milk, cream, and powdered sugar. Whisk it well. Add the sahlab powder gradually while whisking to prevent those annoying little lumps from forming.
- Thicken: Put the pot on medium heat. Switch to a wooden spoon. Stir constantly. As it heats up, the sahlab will activate and the mixture will turn into a thick, sticky custard. Don’t let it boil over, but it needs to get hot enough to thicken.
- Flavor: Take it off the heat. Stir in the ground mastic and vanilla. The mastic is what gives it that pine-like aroma and extra elasticity. Let this base cool down to room temperature.
- Add the Fat: Using an electric mixer, beat the clarified butter into the cooled base. It needs to be fully emulsified so you don’t get greasy streaks.
- The Manual Churn: Pour the mix into a bowl and freeze for an hour. Take it out, beat it firmly with a whisk or mixer to break up ice crystals, and put it back. Do this 3 or 4 times every 20 minutes. This mimics an ice cream machine and adds air.
- Shape: Line a baking tray with parchment. Spread a layer of chopped pistachios. Spread the thick, semi-frozen ice cream over the nuts. Freeze until it’s solid enough to hold its shape (about 2 hours).
- Roll and Serve: Lift the parchment, roll the ice cream into a tight cylinder (like a jelly roll cake), coating the outside with more pistachios. Slice immediately.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Unique Texture: The elasticity is fun to eat and different from anything in the grocery store freezer aisle.
- Slow Melting: Thanks to the sahlab and mastic, this ice cream holds up well in warm weather without turning into soup immediately.
- Presentation: Serving ice cream slices from a pistachio-crusted roll looks very professional on a dessert plate.
Chef’s Tips for Perfection
- Grinding Mastic: Mastic resin is sticky. If you try to grind it in a mortar and pestle by itself, it will gum up. Grind it with a teaspoon of the sugar from the recipe to keep it powdery.
- Sourcing Sahlab: Real orchid root powder is expensive and rare. Most “Sahlab” sold in markets is cornstarch with flavoring. If you use the cornstarch mix, it won’t be as stretchy, but it will still taste good.
- The Whisking Step: Don’t skip the 15-minute intervals. If you just shove it in the freezer and leave it, you’ll end up with a solid, icy brick that is impossible to roll.
Storage and Reheating
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer. Because of the high fat and sugar content, it stays scoopable for about two weeks. If you’ve rolled it, keep the log wrapped tightly in plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn.
Nutritional Notes
This is a calorie-dense dessert due to the combination of heavy cream, whole milk, and clarified butter. It’s meant to be eaten in small slices. The pistachios add some healthy fats and protein, but it is primarily a sugar and fat treat.
(Ultimate Melt‑in‑Your‑Mouth Pistachio Sahlab Ice Cream: Easy 30‑Minute Make‑Yourself Dessert)
