Well, here we are in the middle of winter and I\u2019ve been asked to write a story about ice cream. Now, I know some of you are thinking: \u201cIce cream? Isn\u2019t it a bit too cold this time of year for ice cream?\u201d However, I really don\u2019t mind because any time of the year is always a great time of year for ice cream for me. (And I\u2019m sure many of you out there agree.)<\/p>\n
When exactly ice cream was invented, and by whom, has been up for debate for years. Some food <\/a>historians say that it goes back hundreds of years to 550 B.C. and the Persians. Others declare it was Nero who brought ice down from the Apennines to make a honey and wine sherbet. Still others say it didn\u2019t reach Italy until much later when Marco Polo brought it back from China. Indeed, when it comes to ice cream, the answers to its invention are as varied its flavors are today.<\/p>\n Nevertheless, no matter where it was invented or who invented it is not the focus of today\u2019s post. This is because today\u2019s focus is on booza<\/em> (ice cream in Arabic). So, grab a big bowl of booza<\/em> and read along as we tell you about Arabic ice cream. We\u2019ll even include an Arabic ice cream recipe so you can enjoy this creamy, chewy tasty treat at home.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n During the Moorish occupation of modern-day Granada, locals used to bring ice down from the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Afterward, they turned the ice into a delicacy flavored with fresh fruit juice and sweetened with honey. They called the frozen treat \u201csherbet\u201d and the Islamic rulers of Arabic Andalusia absolutely loved it. \u00a0To them, it was sought after as refreshment in the midst of the summer heat. Eventually, it made its way to Damascus. There, the Caliphs enjoyed a Syrian ice cream recipe made with ice the Syrians brought down from Mount Hermon.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n You may find Arabic ice cream is a bit thicker and chewier than the ice cream of Europe. That\u2019s because Arabic ice cream is made of milk, cream, sugar, sahlab<\/em> and Arabic gum. It is made with these last two ingredients tends to make it more elastic than Western ice cream. Sahlab<\/em> is flour made from an orchid tuber that works as both a thickening and flavoring agent. Likewise, mastic gum is a mastic tree resin.<\/p>\n Booza<\/em> makers make traditional Boozet al Da\u2019<\/em>\u00a0by first heating milk sahlab<\/em>, mastic gum and sugar together, then freezing it.\u00a0 Once frozen, they pound the heck out of it with a huge wooden pestle until it\u2019s thick and elastic. Next, they add cream and pistachios to this big gooey mass, and then fold it into a Swiss roll shape. Finally, they coat it with a plentiful amount of pistachios.<\/p>\n Ashta\u00a0<\/em>is Just One of the Many Arabic Ice Cream Flavors<\/strong><\/p>\n You just learned how they make Arabic pistachio ice cream, but like Western ice cream, booza<\/em> comes in a wide range of flavors. The most common of these is ashta<\/em> \u2013 clotted cream rolled in pistachios. However, you can also find chocolate rolled in hazelnuts or a variety of berry flavors depending on the season.<\/p>\n Arabic ice cream does, indeed, remain a delicacy of many Middle Eastern countries. Fortunately, many shops still carry on the tradition of making hand-made booza <\/em>that\u2019s likely to continue for generations to come.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Want to try your luck at making your own booza<\/em> at home? Try this recipe any time of the year.<\/p>\n Sahtayn al wafiah!<\/em><\/p>\n Now that you\u2019ve learned how to make your own Arabic ice cream, want to know what\u2019s just as sweet? Learning Arabic with the Kaleela <\/a>Arabic Learning App, that\u2019s what. Whether you\u2019re a novice or just wanting to refresh the Arabic you\u2019ve already learned, Kaleela <\/a>makes it easy and fun. Best of all, you learn at your pace, whenever and wherever you want. Check it out at kaleela<\/a>.com and see why we say.<\/p>\n Kaleela \u2013 Learn Arabic the Right Way!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Well, here we are in the middle of winter and I\u2019ve been asked to write a story about ice cream. Now, I know some of you are thinking: \u201cIce cream? Isn\u2019t it a bit too cold this time of year for ice cream?\u201d However, I really don\u2019t mind because any time of the year is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8038,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[65,66],"class_list":["post-8048","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-arab-culture","tag-levantine-dialect"],"yoast_head":"\nArabs Have Been \u201cBooza-ing\u201d it Up for Centuries<\/h2>\n
Arabic Ice Cream Ingredients<\/h2>\n
Your Own Booza <\/em>Recipe is as Easy as 1,2, 3!<\/h2>\n
Ingredients<\/h3>\n
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Instructions<\/h2>\n
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