Turkish Ice Cream – At a stretch

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In Turkey, when you a buy a fridge, they don’t tell you how many litres it holds. Instead, they tell you how much Turkish ice cream it can store. Not just any ice cream though. Called dondurma, literally meaning ‘freezing’ in Turkish, Turkish ice cream is made with two magic ingredients, mastic and sahlep, and Kahramanmahraş, in Eastern Turkey, is where the best ice cream comes from.

I went to Kahramanmahraş on a tour with fifty-two university students and five teachers, of whom I was one. It was four days and three nights of singing, dancing and eating on about twelve hours sleep in total. We ate at every opportunity, and when the bus came to a stop at three in the morning naturally we were outside an ice cream shop.

On the point of closing for the night, the shutter was immediately rolled back up as we piled eagerly out of the bus. A man dressed in traditional black baggy trousers, a colorful sash that matched his waistcoat and a fez, came outside and stood in front of a large barrel. He started to mix the ice cream inside it with a large wooden paddle. When it was ready he smeared it on cones for us to eat. He offered one to a student.

Once it was in her hand, the man snatched away the paddle, taking the ice cream with it. The mastic in the ice cream is a natural gum giving Turkish ice cream its unique chewiness. Sahlep, a type of flour made from orchids, adds the irresistible texture.

On our way back through the same town we had more real Turkish ice cream. This time it was served in slices sprinkled with pistachios and we ate it the traditional way. With knives and forks. We were in Yaşar Pastanesi, a shop established about sixty years ago. Although it was once again three in the morning we met the owner, who still worked eighteen hours a day. Which is lucky for ice cream lovers, because this is where the famous Mado ice cream originates from. You can find Mado cafes all over the country so there’s no need to travel as far Kahramanmahraş for a real Turkish ice cream. However, you’ll have a great time if you do!

You can read about the rest of this trip I made with the fifty-two university students and my other adventures in Turkey in Exploring Turkish Landscapes: Crossing Inner Boundaries.

Here are my helpful tips to come and eat Turkish ice cream in Turkey

Before you even buy your plane ticket, check whether you need an EVISA. Here’s my post on everything to know before you take off, including how to buy one from the government website so you don’t pay extra.

Even if I never claim on it, I always take out TRAVEL INSURANCE. I recommend Visitors Coverage.

eSIM are the way to stay connected wherever you travel. I recommend Truely, an eSIM provider working with local telcos. You can buy it before or after you arrive in Turkey, a convenience other esim providers no longer offer and can opt for 1 to as many days as you need, instead of being limited to 7, 15 or 30 days. Plus you can reload as you need. Truely eSIM are straightforward to install and activate but if you have any problems their responsive Whatsapp customer service is available 24/7.

Use my code: insideoutinistanbul and get 5% off when you order through the Truely website.

ACCOMMODATION: When I want to find a place to stay I use Booking.com.

For FLIGHTS I like to use Kiwi.com. Once you land the next decision you’ll have to make is how to get to your hotel. I’m a big advocate of public transport, but know it’s not suitable for everyone all the time. When I need to be picked up from or get to Istanbul Airport or Sabiha Gokcen Airport, I use one of these GetYourGuide AIRPORT TRANSFERS.

If you’re travelling alone, check out this post on useful solo travel tips Turkey for women (and men).

Now that’s all the practical stuff out of the way, here’s the fun stuff.

CITY TOURS & DAY TRIPS: Let me guide you around Kadikoy with my audio walking tour Stepping back through Chalcedon or venture further afield with Istanbul 50 Unsung Places, my bespoke guidebook. I know you’ll love visiting the lesser-known sites I’ve included. It’s based on using public transport as much as possible so you won’t be adding too much to your carbon footprint. Then read about what you’ve seen and experienced in my three essay collections and memoir about moving to Istanbul permanently.

Browse the GetYourGuide website or Viator to find even more ways to experience Istanbul and Turkey with food tours, visits to the old city, evening Bosphorus cruises and more!

However you travel, stay safe and have fun! Iyi yolculuklar.