Damascene ice cream has evolved from the famous Damascene fresh lemon sorbet that was made from lemon trees grown in the Orchards around the city.

The lemon sorbet makers discovered that by boiling milk with “Sahlab”, a natural herb found on the Damascene mountains, the cooled mixture resulted in an ice cream with a very distinctive taste.

This led to the development of the world famous handmade (hammered) Damascene ice cream that is usually served with a topping of Syrian pistachio nuts.