Most people see dates when they look at a palm tree; however, "Amira" sees ice cream.

This entrepreneur from Abu Dhabi has produced 145 natural ice cream flavors over the past three years using various parts of the palm tree, from fresh and dried dates to roasted date pits, pollen, and even palm leaves. Now, her brand's menu has reached 447 flavors, many of which are inspired by traditional Emirati desserts and dishes like Luqaimat, Balaleet, Aseedah, Khabees, Qurs, and Rahash.

However, her goal was not just to create unusual flavors. Everything started when she realized during her first ice cream-making course in Kuwait that a large part of this industry relies on ready-made powders, artificial flavorings, preservatives, and excessive sugar. That experience led her to decide that if she ever launched her own brand, she would choose a different path.

Amira uses natural ingredients as much as possible in her recipes and allows the colors and sweetness of fruits and natural ingredients to create the flavor of the ice cream instead of artificial colors and essences.

This choice was not easy, of course. She says she broke more than 15 ice cream machines to achieve the ideal texture and spent months on trial and error. Furthermore, she participated in 21 specialized courses in various countries to learn more.

Despite all the training she received outside the UAE, she decided to focus on her country's identity instead of imitating famous brands. She asked herself why Italy is known for gelato, but Abu Dhabi cannot be famous for its natural ice cream?

The answer to this question was right before her eyes; the palm tree, the national symbol of the UAE.

She says that when she saw tourists eagerly buying dates but many Emirati youth having less connection with traditional foods, she decided to introduce the country's culinary heritage to them in a fresh format; ice cream flavored with Luqaimat, Balaleet, and other familiar foods.

Alongside Emirati ingredients, Amira has also used unique fruits from other countries and even created a different version of the Italian dessert "Affogato," where coffee made from roasted date pits is poured over date ice cream. The ice cream made from palm leaves is so similar to matcha that many customers mistake it for matcha at first glance.

This brand has received several international innovation awards and has had numerous requests for representation from countries in the Middle East and Europe, but Amira has rejected most of them to maintain the quality and philosophy of her brand.
Source: Gulf Times