Booza ice cream is a Middle Eastern confection made with a clotted cream called ashta, then turned over with rose petals and pistachio, then sliced like a loaf. Its silky, stretchy texture comes from salep, a powder made of ground orchid root. Found at Cedar Sweets, this is Editor-in-Chief Omar Mouallem’s favourite rolled ice cream that he goes out of his way for.
Rosslyn | 10710 134 Ave. NW, Edmonton | 780.479.2292
Glenwood | 9951 170 St. NW | 780.540.2292
cedarsweets.ca
Originating in Thailand as a popular street food in 2009, rolled ice cream has boomed in popularity across North America. Ice Flame prides itself on its long list of rolled ice cream flavours from across the globe, from Sicily to Pakistan. One in particular harkens to a typical east-Indian dessert, rajbhog. It’s a spongy and sweet delicacy — a spherical saffron-flavoured dumpling stuffed with dry fruits like almonds or pistachios with a touch of rose. Rolled into a chilled concoction, this dessert is both fragrant and elegant.
Ellerslie | 9728 Ellerslie Rd. SW, Edmonton | 587.735.4362 | theiceflame.com
Though not technically ice cream, we couldn’t leave La Carraia’s gelato off this list — it’s just too creamy and delicious. Get a taste of Florence, Italy right here in Edmonton with the pistachio gelato that’s made from scratch with natural ingredients. To finish it off, the velvety layers are topped with sprinkled pistachios, as a trusty companion to the nutty flavour nestled throughout.
Downtown | 10067 109 St. NW, Edmonton | 780.244.0648 | lacarraia.ca
No need to fly for 17+ hours when you can try New Zealand-style ice cream here in Edmonton. For this, frozen fruit is blended with hard scoop vanilla ice cream to make a soft serve. Little B’s Real Fruit Ice Cream food truck offers many refreshing options, but we’ve got our eye on the Pink Drink. The ultimate summertime concoction, this drink has a scoop of tropical medley ice cream (with passionfruit, dragon fruit and pineapple) with sprite.
Food truck locations vary | Instagram: @littlebsrealfruiticecream
Persian saffron ice cream (better known as Bastani) is a delicacy dating back more than 2,500 years ago to the Achaemenid Empire. The dessert combines saffron, egg yolks, milk, cream and rose water to form a delicate, stretchy texture packed with earthy flavours. This quintessential treat can be found at Lotus House — topped with bits of pistachio, and rolled into a satisfying scoop.
Ritchie | 10015 82 Ave. NW, Edmonton | lotuscuisine.ca
Rich and vibrant, Twice Cream has an adventurous, yet classic flavour. A fusion of Japanese matcha and spirulina powder (rich in protein, carotenoids, essential fats and trace minerals), combined with Moroccan spearmint loose leaf tea, this scoop packs a powerful, yet well-balanced punch.
Westmount | 10983 127 St. NW, Edmonton | 587.520.5505 | twicecream.ca
This Filipino treat shop is known for its Champorado — a chocolate rice pudding with ice cream on top. Yet, another delectable menu item is the Halo Halo, a popular dessert from the Philippines. Shaved ice, jellies, jackfruit, coconut strings and red beans are stacked into a cup with either soft or hard ice cream on top. You can eat it layer by layer or mix it all together.
Strathcona | 10324 Whyte Ave. NW, Unit 101, Edmonton | 780.994.9356 | yelod.ca
