Booza is the Arabic word for ice cream, and here it means the elastic eastern Mediterranean style made with mastic, a tree resin that gives it a chewy pull somewhere between ice cream and taffy. The recipe traces back to Sarah Rukab, who supported her family by selling small batches of ice cream in Palestine in the 1930s; her descendant Fadi brought it to Houston in 2018. The little Richmond Avenue shop near the Galleria is bright and casual, with more than 20 flavors made in small batches. Start with ashta, a clotted-cream flavor, crusted in pistachios. Then pair orange blossom or rosewater with lemon-mint sherbet or Turkish coffee. The texture surprises first-timers, then wins them over.
What to expect
- It is counter service, kid-friendly and easy for takeout.
- Six dairy-free flavors rotate, plus sherbet.
- Some flavors contain nuts; all are gluten-free except cookies and cream and cheesecake.
What to order
- Ashta with pistachios
- Orange blossom
- Turkish coffee
- Lemon mint
- Since 1941, from Sarah RukabFamily recipe
- 2018In Houston since
- 20+Flavors