Camel's Milk Ice Cream at the Norfolk Hotel

[Liibaan]

The Norfolk Hotel in Nairobi serves camel's milk ice cream over a macadamia nut tart baked with acacia-infused honey. Dried fruit tops the ice cream and three dabs of passion fruit coulis — the color of egg yolks — sparkle on the side.

 

 

NPR Correspondents' Choice

 

Nairobi: Camel's Milk Ice Cream at the Norfolk Hotel

by Gwen Thompkins

 

 

 

The Norfolk Hotel in Nairobi serves camel's milk ice cream over a macadamia nut tart baked with acacia-infused honey. Dried fruit tops the ice cream and three dabs of passion fruit coulis — the color of egg yolks — sparkle on the side.

 

 

NPR.org, April 16, 2007 · Real Kenyans, for the most part, dine at home. Truth be told, that is where the best food is. So if an invitation is offered — pounce! They can be as rare as a leopard sighting. After the hustle and the clawing of the day, after the pushing and the dust and the heat, Kenyans prefer a little peace at home, which means — no offense — a home without you.

 

Most of the finest restaurants in Nairobi are already in the guidebooks. They serve plenty of meat dishes, because this is the kind of place where beef is what's for dinner. Or goat. Or, at Carnivore (off Langata Road, Nairobi, 254-20-605-933), one the city's most famous eateries, the menu looks like the opening credits of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. There is roasted crocodile, camel, buffalo, gazelle and ostrich.

 

There is also a variety of Indian fare in Nairobi. And Kenya's sizable Indian population has commanded ample space on nearly every menu for vegetarian dining. Here, even Wimpy's (in Sarit Center Food Court off Parklands Road, Westlands, Nairobi) has a veggie-burger special.

 

But the best (and freshest) foods in Nairobi often are found along the side of the road, where farmers sell their own maize, pineapples and mangoes. They sell boiled eggs that were laid the same day. They sell yummy green lemons, with rinds that are so rough and bumpy that you are tempted to call a dermatologist.

 

And all that meat? Well, it is walking around town every day. In the lush, green neighborhoods of Nairobi, traffic often stops to let a herd of goats or cows go by. Some restaurants even keep a cluster of worried-looking goats a few steps away from the grill, just in case. And when there is drought, herdsmen have been known to water their cattle downtown.

 

Here's a good food tip — a culinary poem, worthy of D.H. Lawrence at his food-writing best. When the air is angry with heat, think ice cream. The best ice creams in Nairobi are fresh and homemade, of course.

 

On the Delamere Terrace of the venerable Norfolk Hotel, they serve camel's milk ice cream, which rests on a simple, macadamia nut tart baked with acacia-infused honey. Dried fruit tops the ice cream, and three dabs of passion fruit coulis — the color of egg yolks —- sparkle on the side.

 

For the purists, the ice cream can also be served in a simple scoop, alone in a dish. They make it right there at the Norfolk, which dates back to the turn of the last century, when British colonials ran Kenya as both a playground and a mighty frontier.

 

The camel's milk comes from the semi-arid stretches of northern Kenya, home to Kenyan pastoralists and thousands of Somali refugees and Kenyan Somalis. It is a staple there, but the milk is also sold in small quantities at grocery stores in Nairobi.

 

Camel's milk ice cream is heavy and smooth on the tongue, and tastes a wee bit musky. The milk itself is so thick and sweet that it is simultaneously milk and cream. The ice cream has a quiet bite to it, as if there is some Creole cream cheese or light sour cream mixed in.

 

The dish — "Muranga macadamia nut tart with camel milk ice cream" — isn't available at the restaurant every day, which makes it extra special. You have to wait for when the time is right.

 

So wait. Because from the first cool mouthful, the ice cream enlivens the imagination to think of distant and exotic places: places where the moon rises over the desert like a flare, where no amount of shouting could fill the silence of an empty landscape, where even the din of downtown Nairobi recedes. Executive chef Abdalla Masoud brought camel's milk ice cream to the Norfolk, but what he really brought was a hint of grace.

 

Norfolk Hotel — Harry Thuku Road, Nairobi, Kenya. Telephone: 254-20-250-900.

[Liibaan]

Al Ain Dairy Launches the First Camel Milk Ice Cream

 

 

NewswireToday - /newswire/ - Bur Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 08/23/2006 - Al Ain Dairy announces the launch of another innovative product, a healthy sweet alternative -- camel milk ice cream. Made from camel milk known for its health benefits such as low cholesterol and low sugar content makes this new product unique..

 

 

Al Ain Dairy, known to be the trendsetter in the dairy industry, once more pioneers the launch of another innovative product – camel milk ice cream. A first of its kind to hit the UAE market, camel milk ice cream is the healthy alternative for people with sweet tooth to satisfy their craving for ice cream. No less than Mr. Enzo La Blunda, renowned Italian chef and ice cream specialist supervises the manufacturing process to ensure that each pack of camel milk ice cream has passed the quality standards that Al Ain Dairy has been known for.

 

“Let’s do it the Italian way”, he insisted. By this he means making ice cream the way homemade ice cream is made without using automatic mixing and filling equipment to ensure that the mixture obtains all flavors of the ingredients which are imported from Italy. No wonder, Italy acquired its reputation as the one of the oldest ice cream manufacturing countries.

 

With the introduction of camel milk ice cream, people will get to enjoy not only the healthy benefits of camel milk but the creamy goodness of ice cream as well. Children who have allergy against products made from cow’s milk can now enjoy their taste of ice cream. Camel milk ice cream is safe as well for people who are suffering from lactose intolerance. The vitamin C content in camel milk which is about 3 times more than in fresh cow’s milk makes the ice cream indeed a healthy dessert. Even weight watchers will enjoy the delicious taste of ice cream since the fat content of camel milk ice cream is maximum 2.5 %. The average ice cream contains between 6 to 9% percent fat. Definitely, camel milk ice cream is a welcome treat for both young and old alike.

 

Camel milk ice cream can be found in popular supermarkets and gasoline stations in three delicious flavors – strawberry, caramel and chocolate in 100 and 350 gram packs. Try one now and be among the first to try this healthy sweet alternative from Al Ain Dairy.

 

About Al Ain Dairy

Al Ain Dairy is the leader in the fresh milk category in the UAE. Last year, Al Ain Dairy is constantly innovating and making efforts to offer its consumers the best in dairy and juice technology. During the last years, Al Ain Dairy has invested heavily in new dairy farms, upgrade its plant and equipment, new distribution fleet and in staff training as well. Al Ain Dairy is also unique in being the first dairy of its kind to have a camel farm as well as to manufacture and distribute camel milk. Al Ain Dairy has been known to set the trend in the dairy industry with the opening of its Farm Fresh retail outlets and the first to manufacture chocolate from camel milk.

 

Products

Camel Milk

1L, 500ML, 250ML, 200ML

 

 

Camel Milk Ice Cream - Caramel

250G

 

Camel Milk Ice Cream - Chocolate

250G

 

Camel Milk Ice Cream - Strawberry

250G

[Liibaan]

One hump or two? Camel milk ice cream is here

By Chris Mercer

 

24/08/2006- A leading dairy firm in the Middle East is attempting to trade on the health benefits of camel's milk by using it to make a lower fat, reduced sugar ice cream.

 

Al Ain Dairy said it had launched the first camel milk ice cream in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), positioning the product as a healthy alternative to other ice cream products.

Camel's milk has long been considered healthy in the Arab world, but discussion on its commercial potential has increased in recent years.

 

Al Ain, which has set up a camel farm and processing facility, said its new ice cream would be available in supermarkets and petrol stations in chocolate, caramel and strawberry flavours.

 

The group has targetted weight watchers by highlighting that camel milk ice cream contains only 2.5 per cent fat, compared to between six and nine per cent for standard ice creams.

 

It added that camel milk ice cream was safe for consumers with lactose intolerance, and contained three times more vitamin C than cow's milk.

 

One would still get much more vitamin C from fruit and vegetables, but it is health benefits like this that have seen camel's milk capture more attention in dairy circles.

 

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said recently that camel's milk had strong potential with millions of consumers across Africa, Europe and the Americas.

 

The FAO was instrumental in developing the first camel milk cheese, dubbed 'camelbert', in 1992. Since then, camel milk chocolate has appeared, while an Israeli scientist, professor Reuven Yagil, reportedly developed a camel milk ice cream in 1999.

 

Low fat dairy, such as semi-skimmed and skimmed milk, has taken market share off full fat products in several western markets.

 

This trend has been particularly visible for ice cream in Europe over the last few months, with three large firms, including Unilever and ingredients group Danisco, announcing new low fat products.

 

Camel's milk, as well as being low in fat, also contains vitamin B, iron and unsaturated fatty acids.

 

Its nutritional value has led to a range of health claims. One small study, released by the Camel Applied Research and Development Network, found camel's milk could help treat Type 1 diabetes.

 

Some doctors and researchers have also said camel's milk may help treat a range of other illnesses, including ulcers, tuberculosis and even breast cancer.

 

More studies will be needed, however, to bring some of these claims out of regional folklore.

[Pacifist]

Looks quite yummy but I hope its not bitter. My first caano geel experience was not so good. Growing up in a non caano geel country and hooyo and aabo (allahu naxariso) always mentioning how nothing compares to fresh caano geel bubbling with foam was the best milk in the world.

 

Inshallah I will soon try it can't wait..

[Urban]

Looks delicious.. but that 'dried fruit' looks like bacon.. yummy..

[Allamagan]

^^ amin,

The australian run the biggest camel industry. Wait and see till you soon see camel products in every supermarket near you.