Salep gives Turkish dondurma its famously stretchy texture. Salep is a flour made from the tubers of certain orchid species, and its natural glucomannan helps make the frozen dessert elastic and resistant to melting.
Traditional dondurma commonly combines salep with milk and sugar. The mixture is kneaded or beaten while freezing, producing a dense consistency unlike the softer texture of many Western-style ice creams. Vendors can stretch, twist, and lift portions during theatrical serving routines.
Mastic is another important ingredient in many versions of dondurma. It contributes a distinctive aroma and can add to the dessert’s chewy character, but salep is the ingredient most closely associated with its signature elasticity.
Wild orchid harvesting for salep has raised conservation concerns because the tubers are collected from native plants. Commercial products may therefore use substitutes or regulated supplies rather than traditionally harvested orchid tubers.