The Greek Kaimaki
An oriental taste
The "Kaimaki" or "dondurma" ice cream is of Turkish derivation and of Greek adoption. In Turkish language “dondurma” means freezing and "kaimaki dondurma" means cream ice-cream. The kaimaki ice cream looks like a white cream. For its preparation two basic ingredients are needed: masticha from Chios greek island and salepi. |
Mastic is a resin obtained from the mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus). In pharmacies and nature shop, it is called “Yemen gum”. In Greece it is know as the “tears of Chios”, being traditionally produced on nthat Greek island and like other natural resins, is produced in “tears” or droplet.
Originally a sap, mastic is sun-dried into pieces of brittle, transucent resin. When chewed the resin softens and becomes a bright white and opaque gum. The flavor is bitter at first but after some chewing it releases a refreshing slightly pine or cedar-like flavor. |
The salepi is a flour, formerly considered a tonic or a medicine, and still used today in Turkey for the production of drinks and ice creams such as dondurma.
The salepi is obtained from dried tubers of different orchids belonging to the subfamily of Orchidoideae. After the flowering period, the tubers with a bitterish taste and the peculiar unpleasant smell are picked, washed, grated, roasted and dried at an artificial hot temperature. All the orchid tubers can provide the salepi.. |