We’re making the most of our trip Out West today. Earlier in the day we’d eaten at Al Aseel in Greenacre and later that day we find ourselves at the busy Auburn Festival sprawled across a few central streets in Auburn. It’s a swelteringly hot day with a hot gusty wind but that doesn’t seem to have deterred visitors, with many gathered at various stations watching musicians, karate kids and competitions in progress. Of course we’re here for the food and to soak up the multicultural atmosphere of Auburn.
There are stands selling Turkish coffee.
Flowers on stilts with flowerpot feet
There are whole young coconuts on sale.
As the temperature is very hot, we’ve lured M’s boys S and In to the festival with promises of ice cream. And it’s not just any ice cream, it’s Dondurma, the deliciously stretchy Turkish ice cream. One of the first stalls we hit is this and given the temperature we quickly make our selections ($3 for one scoop, $5 for two in either a cone or a cup).
Turkish ice cream being churned
Rockmelon ice cream on top, Sour Cherry ice cream on bottom (hidden)
I choose a rockmelon and sour cherry and S and In choose chocolate ice cream cones where a gentleman makes a little show out of putting the ice cream cone on the end of his stick and urges the kids to grab it which they make a few attempts to do so but he is too quick.
They’re happy with the chocolate ice cream and I try our rockmelon and sour cherry. The rockmelon is creamy and my husband’s favourite. However M and my favourite is definitely the sour cherry, with small sour cherry pieces studded throughout with nothing but unadulterated sour cherry flavour.
I also get the urge to have a snow cone, it’s so hot by the time we walk up to the other end. I know it’s a little pricey for shaved ice and syrup ($3.50) but I need to cool off and I choose a green apple one with lime jelly (extra 50c) on top. I actually thought it would have actual jelly but it turns out they sprinkle some jelly crystals on top. Despite its weirdness it’s exactly what I need.
Sugarcane
My husband has other things on his mind…sugar cane juice. He recalls country school trips spent on buses chewing on sugar cane and the last time we went to Auburn he enjoyed a cup. Wandering down to Wok King near the train station, we spot the familiar sugar cane juice contraption. It looks like it’s seen better days but delivers the sugar cane juice nevertheless. They even seal the top with plastic and give us a pokey ended straw which we use to puncture the top and we sip the very sweet but delicious sugar cane juice.
Sugar cane juice $3.50
Yes, the bearer of this juice is one very happy camper indeed.
Auburn Festival 2008
Held in Auburn CBD area 20th September
Vegetarian options: some
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17 Comments | Add your own
How do they get the icecream so stretchy? Won’t it melt? Fascinating stuff. I am all for festivals, especially ones that aren’t super crowded ie. Aroma festival 2008.
Great photos, I especially love the one of the friendly looking icecream man, whose job is to spread the joy of icecream to everyone. Great outfit too
Love the flowerpot feet
Lime crystals on shaved ice is weird, I would’ve expected actual jelly too!
what an interesting festival. I didn’t know sugar cane juice existed
I remember they had a Turkish ice cream stand down in that famous Quay in Singapore. My brother and I were SOOO fascinated by the ice cream man’s tricks. And the ice cream itself was pretty awesome too.
I love the Turkish coffee stand – it is so neat! Although in reality, I know that I’d choose a scoop of that wonderful chocolate Turkish icecream over a Turkish coffeee any day
Stretchy ice cream?? How bizarre… I’m not sure I get it. It sounds interesting though!
It sounds like a wonderful day!
Wow looks like great fun and I miss sugar cane! I haven’t chewed on some for years now…
heh the famous fingernails! and i love the stretchy icecream!
Where can I try these Turkish ice cream other than in the festival? Seem there is no other Turkish festival coming soon?
Hi Maria-Dondurma is thickened with salep (the dried and ground tubers of some types of orchids) and mastic resin which makes is stretchy and less prone to melting. This one wasn’t as crowded and I don’t really like huge crowds either as it means queueing for ages!
Thanks, he was very entertaining!
Hi Y-They really do do all the details dont’ they? I can’t say that I liked the jelly crystals (they were so strongly flavoured) but the rest really hit the spot.
Hi snookydoodle-I’m a big festival fan I have to say
I rarely see it so whenever I do, I feel we have to have some!
Hi sheera-yes the tricks are very cool for pulling in the kids (and adults alike!). My favourite is the black mulberry, just so good and fruity!
Hi Cakelaw-It was sooo hot that day that even though I don’t eat a lot of ice cream, I headed straight there. From the queues it seemed like it was on everyone’s hit list too whilst he Turkish coffee stand was relatively empty
Hi Bria-It’s really good, if you see it do try it and try and get a cone from a man doing tricks!
Hi Blond Duck-It was a great day-one filled with food is always great for me
Hi FFichiban-I know, sugar cane juice, with the rickety looking equipment is just so good. I think the last time I chewed on sugar cane was in Taiwan when I was 10 years old on a holiday!
Hi chocolatesuze-LOL see I don’t always wear black!
Hi Lilia-You can get it from Mado Cafe in Auburn where there are a lot more flavours available. It’s very good, and said to be lower in lactose than regular ice cream and easier to digest for children too.
Hi
that’s some mighty attractive ice cream–so smooth and creamy. is it wrong that i would like to see one of the folks on stilts tilt over and fall? shame on me.
Forget the ice-cream, I’m far more excited by the sugar cane juice! I haven’t had this since I was 11 and visiting my grandparents in Barbados for the first time. But I remember it well. So good.
(I am also fascinated by the stretchy ice-cream, but sugar cane beats that hands down!)
Hi grace-LOL that’s a bit naughty but I like how you’ve admitted it out loud
I’m sure you’re not the only one to want to have pushed one over though!
Hi Angela-It is really good, especially cold on a hot day.
The good thing is that you don’t have to choose, we had both in fact!
Stetchy icecream? How come I’ve never heard of this?! Or even sugar cane juice? What rock have I been living under?
Yum, yum… all looks very good! I think I would have gone the snow cone too on a day with hot gusty winds ((shudders)).. I struggle with that kind of weather.
The sour cherry icecream sounds like something I’d love too.
Hi Maria-Hehe you should move to Sydney! Although truth be told it’s not like Turkish ice cream is sold in every shop. I’ve only seen it in Turkish areas of Sydney.
The sun was strong that day so it seemed like the only choice. And yes the sour cherry ice cream is similar to the cherry in strudels so I think you might have liked that
Hi there, I am very impressed with your web site. Congratulations. I am PA to the Mayor of Auburn City Council and co-ordinated the stalls for the 2008 Auburn Festival – Yes, it was a terribly hot day. Thought you might like to know the festival this year will be held Saturday 26 September. Love your suggested recipes. Great.
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