When one thinks of Middle Eastern desserts, ice cream is not the first thing that comes to mind. Buza al-halib (Sahlab ice cream) also known as buza bi mistiki (mastic ice cream) is just one of the many frozen desserts available in this region. Buza al-halib is a snow-white ice cream thickened with sahlab, powdered orchid root, and flavored with mastic, not to be confused with gum arabic, a resin extracted from the mastic tree that is native to the Mediterranean.

The mastic gives this frozen dessert a soft, elastic and at the same time chewy consistency. Mastic is usually available in Middle Eastern grocery stores, or if you can’t find it, you can try substituting cornstarch. Putty looks like small, hard, translucent, crystalline lumps that need to be ground into a fine powder before use. Here is a recipe for this authentic Arabic frozen dessert, buza al-halib, if you can’t find mastic don’t worry, the ice cream tastes just as good without it.

Produce:6-8 servings

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons sahlab golden cornstarch

5 cups of whole milk

1 teaspoon of sugar

small piece of putty, about the size of half a fingernail, pounded to a powder (optional)

1 tablespoon. water of roses

chopped pistachios, to decorate (optional)

1. In a small bowl, mix the sahlab with a little milk to create a loose paste. Put the rest of the milk with the sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves.

2. Reduce heat. Add the sahlab/milk mixture to the warm milk, stirring vigorously.

3. Simmer the milk for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rose water. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

4. Pour the milk mixture into a ceramic bowl and allow to cool before freezing. Freeze for 4 1/2 -5 hours, stirring every 30 minutes to break up ice crystals.*

5. When ready to serve, spoon into serving bowls and sprinkle with chopped pistachios, if desired.

*Place sahlab/milk mix in ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.