We came to this dessert shop specifically to try the rice pudding with mastic, an aromatic gum or resin that comes from the mastic tree used to make all kinds of things like gum, flavored water, Turkish ice cream, etc. Although mastic is used in desserts, it's not commonly used throughout Turkey except in the area of Cesme where mastic is a staple. The traditional Turkish rice pudding (sutlac) is delicious just by itself but this particular version with mastic was extra special. The flavor of the mastic was very subtle, not overpowering the flavor of the pudding but it did add a bit of thickness to its texture. Also this particular sutlac was topped with dried black currants which added another layer of delicious flavor and texture. read more