Booza

Booza is a frozen dairy dessert. It is traditionally made through a process of pounding and stretching in a freezer drum, instead of the more usual churning method used in other ice creams, leading to a creamy yet dense texture. Orange flower water or rose water are sometimes added for flavoring. The firmness of booza allows it to be shaped into a roll, which is a popular traditional serving method.

History

Author dates booza back to the 15th century in the Levant region. It's thought to share an origin with the Turkish dondurma.

Geographic scope

Damascus

In Al-Hamidiyah Souq in the Old City of Damascus, there is an ice cream store named Bakdash that is known throughout the Arab world for its stretchy and chewy ice cream. It is a popular attraction for tourists as well.

International usage

A brother and sister team pioneered and created the first packaged version of booza in Australia in 2011. Using local ingredients together with sahlab and mastic, they recreated the traditional form of booza and packaged this in a take-home format available to consumers.
In 2018, a booza scoop-shop named Republic of Booza was opened in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, US, by Tamer Rabbani and Michael Sadler.
Booza vendors can be found outside the Levant region in areas like the Bay Area, US, and Sydney, Australia.