Ice Cream

A bunch of Blue Bell flavors in Dallas.

Sometimes, we all get a little frustrated. Frustration with aspects of life serves to remind us that this is all one big test. In appreciation of the current summer weather, it would be appropriate to focus on one of life’s joys and coping mechanisms: ice cream.

Ice Cream in the United States differs immensely from the international market. I'm rather fond of Magnum ice cream in Europe and certain gelato flavors (almond!) from Italy. Nevertheless, there is one brand of ice cream in the United States that trumps all others: Blue Bell. Anyone who has lived in the Southern US knows that Blue Bell is the richest, most delicious ice cream out there. It’s probably also the most calorie-dense. Oh well, can’t have it all.

Since I no longer live in one of the few states that carry Blue Bell ice cream, I’ve resorted to other brands. I find myself having 'Haagen Dazs' and 'Ben and Jerry’s' to get by. Unfortunately, neither compares to Blue Bell.

This wouldn’t be a "Falasteeniya" post if I neglected to review Palestinian ice cream. Many people are surprised to learn that there is a HUGE ice cream market in Palestine... and there are more brands than I can remember. There’s nothing like an ice cream cone to get a person through the unbearable heat of the Ramallah summer.

Baladna Ice Cream, Ramallah. "Baladna Special": any five flavor choices. On this day, I went with Nutella, Kinder, chocolate chip, Oreo, and knafa... all together. Overload, much?

The Palestinian ice cream market is saturated and many types are sold in corner markets throughout the West Bank. However, the most popular ice cream brands are those sold at two main shops: Rukab’s Ice Cream (which has an entire street in Ramallah named in its honor) and Baladna Ice Cream (which carries random flavors including nutella, Kinder chocolate, and even knafa). The main characteristic shared by Rukab’s and Baladna is the gummy texture of the ice cream. I don’t know for certain, but it appears that they use gum arabic as an ingredient in order to achieve this texture. It's no surprise that these ice cream shops serve as two of the main destinations in the West Bank... oh those Palestinians, succumbing to ice cream instead of going to the Al-Aqsa mosque or enjoying the waters of Jaffa. Guess that's what happens when there are no checkpoints between them and ice cream.

The "Baladna Special" once again. My choices: chocolate, pistachio, vanilla, lemon, and strawberry.

PS: In case you didn't catch the sarcasm, Israel prohibits West Bank Palestinians from going to Jerusalem (where the Al-Aqsa mosque is located) or the city of Jaffa.


* Knafa: A Palestinian pastry consisting of cheese, kataifi pastry dough, and topped with sweet syrup.