The Dessert Course: A stretchy twist on gelato

• La Brioche, 2440 Bank St.

Some readers may recall that last year I directed you to a merchant in Kanata that was bringing to Ottawa from Montreal, a Middle Eastern ice cream called Bouza.

In Lebanon and Syria, Bouza (ice) al haleeb (milk) is the dessert of summer. It’s a stretchier form of the treat as it uses salep powder made from the bulb of a wild orchid giving it a unique elasticity.

Now you can find it in Ottawa and it’s made by the good folks at La Brioche. It’s far less sweet than the versions to which we’re all accustomed, but the recipes are very nice.

They offer a variety of fruit flavours but I chose to go with ashta (cream), tiramisu and pistachio. This combination works very well together.

The tiramisu coffee profile was full-on and the pistachio was as it should be when it’s natural: an olive green and robust.

They sell it in single- and double-scoop cups but if you’re doing a take-away container, it comes in a one kilo box for $30. So mix and match to your heart's content. This is very good stuff.