BOOZA ICE CREAM (LEBANESE STYLE)

Booza is the predecessor to modern ice cream the way we are familiar with it today.Born five hundred or so years ago in the region of the Mediterranean, it is a favorite in many Arab countries. A famously stretchy ice cream, I remember eating as a kid in the Old City of Jerusalem, in what was then Palestine.

Stretchy and chewy with a traditional flavor of mastic, it was a glorious treat. Booza is a form of ice cream that is made with milk, cream, and most often these days with corn starch. Booza is the word for ice cream in Arabic.

Historically it was thickened with sahlab, ground orchid root, with mastic as flavoring, still used today. Sahlab is a very good thickening agent, however, if you can’t find this ingredient then cornstarch does just as good a job. Using thickeners makes a very unique consistency which is thick, stretchy and substantial tasting; soft serve this is not.

The process of making this ice cream includes alternating freezing, stretching, and pounding the ingredients. Very often chopped pistachios are rolled into it, enhancing the qishta, candied cream flavor. The only flavor it came in for the longest time was qishta, but many other flavors have popped up over time.

They run the whole gamut of popular ice cream flavors. There is no doubt in my mind that Middle Eastern booza packs more flavor per scoop than traditional ice cream.

HOW TO MAKE BOOZA ICE CREAM-

As delicious as booza is, it can be a little time-consuming to make, but definitely worth it.

• Start by whisking together sugar, mastic and sahlab in a heavy bottomed pan.
• Slowly pour in the milk, followed by the cream.
• Heat over medium heat as you whisk continuously allowing the mixture to thicken to a pudding like consistency.
• Just as the ice cream reaches the boiling point, remove from the heat immediately.
• The mixture should continue getting thicker on its own at this stage.
• Do not allow to boil, and add any additional flavoring at this point, then pour the mixture into a bowl and set aside to cool.
• Once cool, whisk the mixture, then place the bowl in the freezer for 30 minutes.
• Remove from the freezer, and stir and stretch the ice cream with a rubber spatula.
• If adding pistachio nuts, this is the time to make the addition.
• Put the ice cream back in the freezer for another 30 minutes.
• Remove and repeat the mixing and stretching process, and continue to do this until the ice cream has reached a consistency you like.
• Serve with crushed pistachio nuts, chocolate shavings, or caramel sauce for a taste that you deserve.

Ghare Ghoroot – Persian Black Kashk

Ghare Ghoroot, Qara or black Kashk is one of the by-products of milk. It is popular because of its very sour taste and it has a brown color.

This Iranian edible is usually eaten with Kashk (dry curd) and they are a delicious combination together. This product has a very sour taste and is used as a seasoning for various dishes.

Curd water, yogurt or buttermilk is used to make Qarehqurut. You can also make it using milk (cheese water ).

You can use any of these liquid ingredients to make Ghare Ghoroot, it should be boiled until it becomes thick enough to turn brown and turn into Qareh Qurut.

How is Qarehqurut used?

Qarehqurut has a sour and delicious taste and is served alone. Also, some of it is stuck on the Kashk, which gives a very good taste to it and is very delicious.

Also, Iranians use Ghareh in some dishes; Because it gives a sour taste to the food.

• Qaraqrout in Ash
• In Ghormeh Sabzi
• Some Torshies and Torshak
• In stews, instead of lemon juice, it gives a good taste to the food and thickness it.

The benefits of Qarehqarut-

One of the most important properties of Qarehqrout is its low fat percentage, which has made this product a dietary product for overweight and high blood fat people.

Like other dairy products, Qaraqrout contains calcium. Calcium prevents soft bones in children and osteoporosis in adults

Since Qara contains organic acids, it is a disinfectant of the digestive tract, because it prevents the growth of harmful bacteria in the digestive tract.

For this reason, it prevents colon cancer and disinfects the digestive tract.

What are the side effects of taking too much Qara Qorot?

The acidity of Qaraqrout is much higher than Lavashk, and its use can erode tooth enamel and leave destructive effects on the teeth.

Also, excessive consumption of this product, due to its acid content, leads to general weakness of the body and is not recommended. Therefore, people who have weak body or low blood pressure should avoid consuming it excessively.

If a lot of salt is used in it, it is not recommended for people with high blood pressure or heart disease.

Also, if you have stomach problems, it may cause stomach pain due to its sourness and high acidity. So use with caution.

How to make Qarehqurut at home?

This is the easiest way to make Qarehqurut and I introduce it first, because milk is the most available dairy product. This method has 2 advantages: you will make Qaraqrout from milk and you will have homemade cheese on the side.Since Qara contains organic acids, it is a disinfectant of the digestive tract, because it prevents the growth of harmful bacteria in the digestive tract.

For this reason, it prevents colon cancer and disinfects the digestive tract.