Thick slabs of Turkish stretchy dondurma ice cream served between fresh sesame-crusted simit or soft wafer biscuits — a beloved street food enjoyed across Istanbul.
The ice cream sandwich takes on a distinctly Turkish character in Istanbul's streets and bazaars: the star is dondurma, the uniquely stretchy, chewy Turkish ice cream made with sahlab (orchid root starch) and mastic resin. Unlike Western ice creams which melt quickly, dondurma can be stretched, twisted, and even cut with a knife — qualities that make it perfect for street theater (the famously playful Turkish ice cream vendors in Ottoman waistcoats who tease customers by yanking cones away). This chewy, dense ice cream holds its shape between cookies or simit much longer than conventional ice cream. The sandwich concept adapts this beloved Turkish street food to a handheld format. Traditionally, thick slabs of mastic-and-kahve (mastic and coffee) or pistachio dondurma are pressed between thin wafer biscuits or, in more modern Istanbul street stalls, tucked inside a halved simit (sesame ring bread) — the slight sweetness and crunch of the sesame crust contrasting beautifully with the cold, dense, aromatic ice cream. This recipe details making a simplified home version using store-bought wafer biscuits and commercial pistachio or mastic ice cream.
Serves 4
Place the wafer biscuits on a tray and freeze for 15 minutes — this prevents them from absorbing moisture from the ice cream too quickly and going soft.
Remove the dondurma from the freezer 5-10 minutes before serving to allow it to soften slightly but not melt. It should be scoopable but still very cold and dense.
Place a generous scoop (about 100ml) of ice cream on one biscuit. Top with a second biscuit and press gently to spread the ice cream to the edges in an even layer, about 2cm thick. Work quickly — dondurma holds shape better than regular ice cream but still wants to be cold.
Roll the exposed ice cream edges in crushed pistachios, pressing lightly to adhere. Serve immediately, or wrap in parchment paper and return to the freezer for up to 30 minutes before serving. Drizzle with pomegranate molasses if desired.
Dondurma's stretchy texture holds between biscuits far longer than standard ice cream — but if using regular ice cream, assemble and refreeze for 20 minutes before serving.
Crushed pistachios on the edges are the traditional Turkish garnish — green pistachios from Gaziantep give the best color and flavor.
Freeze assembled sandwiches individually wrapped in parchment paper for an ideal make-ahead summer dessert.
Simit içinde: cut a small simit (sesame ring bread) in half and use it as the bread — this is the classic Istanbul street version.
Çikolatalı: dip the edges in melted dark chocolate before rolling in pistachios for a richer version.
Güllü: use rosewater-flavored ice cream or add a few drops of rosewater to vanilla ice cream for a distinctly Turkish floral note.
Assembled ice cream sandwiches can be individually wrapped in parchment paper and stored in the freezer for up to 1 week. Remove 3-5 minutes before serving to soften slightly.
Dondurma has been produced in the Kahramanmaraş region of southern Turkey for centuries, with its distinctive sahlab-and-mastic formulation uniquely suited to the region's climate. The stretchy, elastic quality comes from salep (sahlab), a flour ground from wild orchid tubers that contain glucomannans — the same compound responsible for konjac's texture. Street vending of dondurma in Istanbul and throughout Turkey became culturally iconic in the 20th century, with the theatrical vendor performance becoming a recognizable symbol of Turkish street food culture.
Turkish dondurma is available in Turkish grocery stores and Middle Eastern food markets in most major cities. Look for it in the freezer section labeled as 'Turkish ice cream' or 'dondurma.' The Mado brand exports widely. If unavailable, use the densest, creamiest ice cream you can find — gelato works better than standard supermarket ice cream as a substitute.
The elasticity comes from sahlab (salep) — a starchy flour ground from wild orchid tubers — and mastic resin. These ingredients create a chewing, stretchy texture quite unlike Western ice creams. The same properties that allow vendors to stretch it dramatically also make it melt-resistant and perfect for sandwiches.
Per serving (200g / 7.1 oz) · 4 servings total
Ask our AI cooking assistant anything about this recipe — substitutions, techniques, scaling.
Chat with AI Chef →Join the conversation
Sign in to leave a comment and save your favourite recipes
Have feedback or need help?
We read every email and reply within 1–2 business days.
© 2026 MyCookingCalendar. All rights reserved.