Wandering through Damascus’ busy souq, we stumbled on an iconic ice cream shop called Bekdach. The long line of eager ice cream eaters outside the shop told us immediately that it was something special, so of course we went in.

Inside there was a feverish level of activity. Customers pushed and shoved their way to the main counter to purchase a token, then pushed and shoved some more to exchange the token for a sweet, light ice cream dipped in toasted pistachio nuts. The whole scene was slightly at odds with the vaguely retro charm of the shop, capped by the glass chandelier hanging down from the ceiling.

At first I was distracted by the process of making the ice creams (not the young men making them, I swear). The ice cream is initially put in a large silver tub, and heavily pounded with a large wooden staff. I was lucky enough to have a go, and even though I tried really hard not have girly stabs, my best efforts were Mr Burns-esque compared with the experienced staff.

After being pumelled, the huge mass of ice cream is deposited at the front of the shop, where another expert kneads and stretches it until it’s ready to be eaten.

With my appetite whetted, I leapt into the fray to get myself some icy goodness. It was tough work, but after a few minutes I came out victorious!

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