If you’re looking to expand your children’s culinary horizons, why not start with a sweet treat most kids already love? Ice cream is a summertime family favorite and can offer a fun and delicious introduction to the DC area’s wealth of global dining opportunities.
Here are some local shops serving up scoops inspired by global flavors.
Boulos Booza | Middle Eastern Ice Cream
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Booza is a traditional Middle Eastern ice cream made with natural thickeners that give it a stretchy, elastic consistency and chewy texture.
“It’s denser, more elastic and melts slower than typical American ice cream,” says Boulos J., founder and owner of Boulas Booza.
Boulos’s goal is to bring authentic Middle Eastern food to the area. “For me, too many times diaspora communities water down their food to meet American tastes. [Booza] is something you really can’t find in the U.S. and it’s as authentically Middle Eastern as you can get.”
When asked for flavor recommendations, Boulos has several suggestions. “Right now, Dubai chocolate is all the craze on TikTok and we just came out with a Dubai chocolate flavor, so that’s been a big hit with the young’uns.” He also recommends fig booza, made with fresh figs and only available in summer, and ashta, the original booza flavor.
Follow Boulos Booza on Instagram to find pop-ups throughout the summer or send a message to place an order. You can also buy pints at Lebanese Taverna Market in Arlington, Virginia or get it served by the scoop at The Green Zone, a DC bar.
Shuga x Ice | African-Inspired Ice Cream
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At Shuga x Ice in downtown Silver Spring, Maryland, handcrafted, small batch ice cream is infused with flavors from African culinary traditions.
Founder and CEO Ndidiamaka Agu says she was inspired by her New York childhood and her Nigerian heritage. “I wanted to bring the two cultures together,” she says. “Bringing the most American thing, which is ice cream, and then bringing every country in Africa and creating a flavor for them.”
Agu wants her shop to introduce people to new flavors. “I don’t believe we offer anything that is in your traditional ice cream shop. I don’t have sprinkles; I usually don’t have whipped cream; I don’t like caramel sauce. Literally everything down to the toppings [is] inspired by African treats, African snacks.”
One of the shop’s most popular flavors is Tea and Bread. Tea-infused ice cream is mixed with pieces of buttered Agege bread, a soft Nigerian bread Agu remembers as a favorite childhood snack.
Be sure to check out Little Shugas, Shuga x Ice’s monthly ice cream-making class for kids. Class schedules and sign-up links are posted on social media.
Malai | South Asian-Inspired Ice Cream
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Malai’s DC scoop shop, in the Shaw neighborhood, incorporates South Asian spices and ingredients inspired by founder and CEO Pooja Bavishi’s Indian American upbringing.
“All of the ice creams at Malai are kid-friendly,” Bavishi says. “Our mission is to make these flavors and ingredients feel familiar and accessible – and that starts with kids.” Flavors she recommends as particular favorites for children include Mango & Cream, Sweet Milk, Sea Salt Vanilla and Apricot Mace.
One of the shop’s most popular flavors, Sweet Roti & Ghee, was inspired by Bavishi’s memories of a favorite childhood treat. “It was the Indian version of bread, sugar and butter,” says Bavishi. “Sweet, savory and perfectly nostalgic. To capture that memory, I recreated the dish as a roti-infused ice cream, layered with churmu throughout.”
La Moo Creamery | Thai Rolled Ice Cream
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Arlington, Virginia’s La Moo Creamery serves Thai rolled ice cream, which comes in a variety of innovative flavors. According to Arya Chudiwale, an employee at the Yorktown shop, kids especially love Cotton Fancy, “a cotton candy-based ice cream with sprinkles, gummy bears and a fistful of cotton candy on top.”
Because rolled ice cream is made-to-order in individual servings, you can customize your flavor with whatever mix-ins you’d like.
Part of the fun of rolled ice cream is getting to watch your ice cream being made. A liquid base is poured onto a chilled pan and a variety of mix-ins are added. Then the mixture is stirred, scooped and spread into a thin sheet as it solidifies. It’s then scraped off the pan into log-shaped rolls that are gathered in a bowl and covered with toppings.
The next time your family goes on an outing for ice cream, check out one of these global-inspired ice cream shops and try something new!
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Rebecca Singer is an educator, mom and museum professional with over 20 years’ experience designing fun, cultural events and activities for kids and families. She lives in the Washington, D.C. area with her husband and daughter.
Rebecca Singer is an educator, mom and museum professional with over 20 years’ experience designing fun, cultural events and activities for kids and families. She lives in the Washington, D.C. area with her husband and daughter.
