Booza

Booza
Booza being sold in the landmark Bakdash ice cream shop in the Al-Hamidiyah Souq in the Old City of Damascus (2009)
TypeIce cream
Serving temperatureCold
Main ingredientsSahlab, mastic
Ingredients generally usedqishta
  •  Wikimedia Commons logo Media: Booza
A dish of booza topped with pistachios served at the Bakdash ice cream shop in Damascus

Booza (Arabic: بُوظَة, romanized: Būẓah, lit. 'ice cream') 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

Booza has a documented history in the Levant. A 2023 article published by the London Museum discusses the history of Syrian booza and its association with Damascus. Booza has been made in Damascus since at least the late 19th century, with a 2022 report on the history of the Bakdash ice cream business documenting its presence in the city by 1895.

Geographic scope

Mastic flavored salep-based booza is made in Jordan. It is also made in Ramallah, in the West Bank by different brands, having spread there from Damascus.

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

The first packaged take-home version of booza in Australia was created in 2011. Booza vendors can be found outside the Levant region in areas like the Bay Area and Williamsburg, Brooklyn in the US, and Sydney, Australia.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Arellano, Gustavo (5 February 2018). "The Syrian Baker Who's Bringing the Middle East's Most Famous Ice Cream to California". The New Yorker. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 Vicars, Natasha (12 July 2023). "Syrian booza in London: A Damascene ice cream made with soul". London Museum. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  3. 1 2 Fabricant, Florence (2018-06-11). "Move Over Soft Serve, There's a New Ice Cream in Town". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2021-01-01. Retrieved 2019-05-07.
  4. ↑ This ice cream stretches like gum - CNN Video, 30 August 2018, archived from the original on 2021-02-05, retrieved 2019-05-07
  5. ↑ "WHAT IS BOOZA?". REPUBLIC OF BOOZA. Archived from the original on 2019-05-07. Retrieved 2019-05-07.
  6. ↑ "Traditional Booza Ice Cream Debuts in Brooklyn". Michelin. 27 June 2018. Archived from the original on 3 December 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  7. 1 2 "A stretchy, hard-to-find ice cream arrives in the Bay Area". San Francisco Chronicle. 5 June 2025. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
  8. ↑ "Refugee shares a taste of homeland by creating business selling traditional Syrian ice cream 'bakdash'". CityNews Ottawa. 19 August 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  9. ↑ ""بكداش".. دمشق تودع رائد صناعة "البوظة العربية"". Sky News Arabia (in Arabic). 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
  10. ↑ "عمّان.. من "حبيبة" إلى بوظة بكداش". The New Arab. 24 Aug 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  11. ↑ ""ركب"... العائلة الّتي ارتبط صيف فلسطين باسمها" ["ركب"... العائلة الّتي ارتبط صيف فلسطين باسمها]. Arab 48 (in Arabic). 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  12. ↑ "Gooey Goodness: Ramallah's Stretchy Ice Cream Delights". NPR. 8 September 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  13. ↑ Amos, Deborah (2013-05-04). "As Syria Melts Down, Ice Cream Shop Sets Up In Jordan". National Public Radio. Archived from the original on 2019-06-24. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  14. ↑ "Bring on the booza". 24 October 2011. Archived from the original on 24 June 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  15. ↑ "Traditional Booza Ice Cream Debuts in Brooklyn". MICHELIN Guide. Archived from the original on 2020-12-03. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
  16. ↑ Hrovat, Bianca (7 February 2025). "The stretchy ice-cream from Tripoli that Concord locals are queueing for". Good Food. Retrieved 31 August 2025.