Kashmir gets a taste of Türkiye with traditional ice cream

By Nusrat Sidiq

SRINAGAR, Jammu and Kashmir (AA) – In 2018, during a trip to the Indian capital New Delhi, two friends came across a frozen delicacy that would change their lives forever – traditional Turkish ice cream.

Blown away by the unique flavor, they sought to bring this delight to their hometown, the scenic Srinagar, capital of Indian-administered Kashmir.

Aabid Naseer, a computer science student, and Moeen Ayub, a medical student, achieved their objective earlier this month, bringing a taste of Türkiye to the region.

Hundreds have thronged to their outlet in a mall in Srinagar and more people keep pouring in every day.

“I am totally amazed by the response. Everyone is coming, from children to their grandparents,” an excited Naseer told Anadolu.

He explained that the idea took shape when the duo heard that a Turkish ice cream brand called Turquoise was looking for franchisees.

He said there was a risk associated with the project as “this kind of business model is very new to Kashmir.”

“Also, people hardly know about Turkish ice cream here. But we gave it a try and we are really grateful to see people are loving it,” said Naseer.

Turquoise first opened its doors in India in 2016, brought over by Turkish national Sahin Ozturk. It has several outlets all over India, as well as other countries such as Thailand and Bangladesh.

According to the brand’s story, their ice cream originated some 400 years ago in the southern Turkish province of Kahramanmaras, widely known as the ice cream capital of Türkiye.

- A unique treat

Wearing traditional Turkish attire, two young men flip a blob of ice cream in the air, spinning it around with masterful skill, leaving the small crowd around their mall kiosk completely mesmerized.

Then there were the playful games with children trying to grab their cones, only to be outwitted by the vendors, giving up, and then beaming with happiness when they finally get their ice cream.

“My daughter is 4 and she is always eager to come here. It’s not just for the ice cream because the skills that these guys have are an experience in their own right,” said Shahbaz Bhat, a Srinagar resident.

Turkish ice cream stands apart from others with its chewy and stretchy texture, a result of its unique mix of ingredients.

The milk used for the ice cream comes from goats that are fed plants such as thyme and tragacanth, giving the milk a distinctive flavor and aroma.

The most essential ingredient for Turkish ice cream is called “salep,” a flour made from the tubers of wild orchids.

“I think people here are loving it because this tastes nothing like normal ice cream. All the ingredients are natural and healthy. It’s just very different,” said Naseer.

He said they are sourcing all ingredients from Türkiye to make their product as authentic as possible.

The flavors on offer right now are vanilla, mango, chocolate, strawberry and blueberry, but Naseer said they are focused on “bringing in more variety.”

Though it is still early days for their business, the response has given Naseer and Ayub the encouragement to dream of expanding to other areas.

“Places like Gulmarg, Pahalgam or the Dal Lake, they all have so many tourists. I believe it can be a huge success,” said Naseer.