Since the temperatures have steadily been in the 80s and 90s everywhere we've been in Turkey, dondurma has become my new best friend.
My visitors also have taken a liking to Turkish ice cream, which is a bit chewy or stretchy compared to traditional creamy ice cream. True dondurma is made from sweetened milk and cream and thickened with mastic, an aromatic resin, and salep, produced from a particular orchid root. This procedure makes Turkish dondurma more resistant to melting - a great feature in this heat.
Just look around for these dondurma stands where you'll see the vendors tossing and pulling the ice cream in the air with long-handled paddles. It's entertaining an delicious!