What is dondurma?
"Dondurma" simply means "ice cream" in Turkish. What is called that in Istanbul is most often Maraş dondurma (Maraş dondurması), from the city of Kahramanmaraş in the south-east of the country. It is made with milk, sugar, salep (a flour made from orchid roots) and mastic (sakız), an aromatic resin. The last two ingredients give it its dense, stretchy, slow-melting texture, very different from Italian gelato or ordinary ice cream.
It is beaten by hand in vats and sold with a paddle: that gesture is the show.
The vendor's routine
In tourist streets (Sultanahmet, Eminönü, İstiklal), many vendors put on a little act: the cone that seems to escape you, the paddle spins, the scoop stuck to the spoon. It is a fun game, but it has a limit: while the demonstration lasts, some also try to charge foreign visitors more. A few precautions:
- Ask the price before you order, per scoop or per cone, and check it against the label when there is one. If the vendor answers vaguely, walk on.
- Avoid paying with a large note: hand over the exact amount or check the change.
- Choose a shop with a posted price list, especially around busy sights.
- You can refuse the show: just say "sade, lütfen" (plain, please) and keep your cone in your hand.
See also our guide to scams and safety in Istanbul.
Flavours to try
- Sade (plain, with salep and mastic): the reference flavour, to taste first.
- Fıstıklı (pistachio) and çikolatalı (chocolate): the safe bets.
- Kaymaklı (with thick cream, kaymak): the richest.
- Vişne (sour cherry) and limon (lemon): for a tart note.
One scoop is often enough: the ice cream is dense and is eaten slowly.
Where to eat Turkish ice cream
| Where | What you find |
|---|---|
| İstiklal Avenue | Dondurma shops and vendors in costume; the most show, and the most need to watch the price |
| Kadıköy and Moda | Neighbourhood ice-cream parlours, including the well-known Baylan (a historic Kadıköy pastry shop) and Ali Usta (Moda), very busy in summer; see Kadıköy and Moda |
| Eminönü and the Spice Bazaar | Vendors and shops near the quays: watch the prices |
| Chains (Mado and others) | Ice-cream and dessert parlours with a clear menu and posted prices |
Names and addresses change: check opening hours and prices on the spot or on the menu in the window.
To pair with
- A künefe or a baklava: see the pastries of Istanbul.
- A walk through Üsküdar or along the Moda seafront, ice cream in hand.
- In summer, ice cream and a Bosphorus ferry make a classic combination; in winter some vendors still sell dondurma, but hot salep (the drink) is more in season.
Practical tips
- It is hot in Istanbul from June to September: eat your ice cream in the shade; it melts slowly, but it melts.
- If you avoid gluten or dairy, ask about the ingredients: dondurma contains milk and may contain nuts or glucose.
- For everything you can taste in the city, see what to eat in Istanbul.
