What’s in a Camel Milk Ice Cream | NOUQ
Have you ever tasted camel milk? What about ice cream made from camel milk? If you live in the UAE, then you definitely can!
Nouq, Arabic for a herd of female camels, is the first home-grown brand offering the largest range of camel milk ice cream flavors in the world. Established barely 2 years ago, by founders Stephan and Frederic (who landed in Dubai with the very motive to start this company), Nouq is designed to deliver an interesting, healthy, and delicious gelato based dessert catering to tourists, locals and expats of all ages.
Who is the Audience?
Nouq camel milk ice cream is not just meant for one section of the market. Thanks to its varied flavors, it serves up to the palette of different audiences – whether they are locals looking for traditional staples in a new product, tourists wanting to sample the culture and authentic flavors of UAE in the form of food, or expats looking to try out something healthy and tasty.
Why Camel Milk?
Those of you who have never tried camel milk, have you ever wondered what it tastes like? If you are like me, you could be under the assumption that camel milk would be salty, bland, too heavy, difficult to digest, and so on. WRONG!
1. Camel milk is one the very few dairy options that can be consumed by people with lactose intolerance and milk protein allergies.
2. Camel milk is much less in fat and cholesterol than cow’s milk. In fact, even though Nouq camel milk gelato uses whole milk for making the ice cream, the total calorie count of each ice cream flavor stays between 150 – 200 Kcal.
3. Camel milk boasts of all the health benefits of cow’s milk, albeit in a much higher quantity. It includes iron that helps increase blood circulation, vitamin C that improves immunity and protein that helps stimulate proper growth and development of bones and organ systems.
4. Antioxidants are in abundance when it comes to camel milk.
How is Nouq better?
The camel’s milk sourced by Nouq for their ice cream comes from Al Ain farms, which does not use any artificial growth hormones on their herd, making sure the milk you consume is hormone-free and from a sustainable source.
While the camel milk is pasteurized at the farm before being sent out, once the ice cream is made, it also undergoes pasteurization at the Nouq factory. This process of double pasteurization makes the camel ice cream safe for consumption. Moreover, it also standardizes the taste and smell of the ice cream, so with every Nouq you eat, you can expect the same standards of high quality and taste.
Nouq camel milk ice cream is made using whole camel’s milk and does not contain any powdered milk components. In fact, while it is called an ice cream for convenience, it is an Italian-style gelato made using no water. The ice cream contains over 50% of camel milk content and very less sugar, along with traces of soy protein.
What are the different Flavors?
Nouq camel milk ice cream is available at Spinneys in a choice of 6 of their most popular flavors. Right from fruity and nutty to the very authentic Arabic flavors, Nouq has something for everyone.
Honey Saffron
This was the first Nouq I tried, and fell in love with instantly. Featuring a blend of sweet honey with the essence of saffron, the ice cream offers a very subtle flavor – one that maintains a hint of sweetness without overpowering your palette with the presence of saffron.
Caramel Biscuit
This one was my ultimate favorite. In fact, I can almost taste the flavor while writing about it. The ice cream had a very creamy texture to it, but it was the presence of the doughy biscuit pieces that made this one a total delight. Highly recommend this one! I know I am going to stock up on this flavor.
Mango
A refreshingly welcoming flavor, and introduced just in time for summer, mango offers something that is sure to appeal to kids, thanks to its colour and sweetness. The ice cream itself is like a cross between sorbet and cream, which makes it quite light and fresh. My second favorite from the 6 after Caramel Biscuit, this one is also a must try.
Pistachio
Although I am not a very big fan of Pistachio, this one was worth a try. The gelato comes with actual pistachio pieces blended in the mix, which add a hint of salty, nutty flavor to the ice cream. I generally like ice cream flavors that are not overly sweet, and this one fared well at that.
Vanilla
Although a classic in every manner, the Nouq vanilla ice cream is unlike any other vanilla you will try. With visible tiny spots of vanilla bean, this one has a slight saltiness to it, which is just right for its flavor.
Chocolate Chip
A simple, no-nonsense chocolate chip ice cream, this one packs in a lot of flavor and is a great choice for chocolate lovers. The flavor isn’t too bitter, nor too sweet, which offers a good balance.
Where is Nouq available?
While Nouq began featuring 2 years back exclusively at 5-star hotels like Oberoi, Raffles and so on, it has since then got its word of approval from 5-star chefs and is now making a mass breakthrough with its introduction at Spinneys and Waitrose supermarkets. Packed in cups of 125 ml, Nouq camel milk ice cream is priced at AED 11.5 per cup. While some people prefer buying large tubs of ice cream, Nouq wants its customers to experience all the flavors and enjoy a different one each day in a portion size that is perfect for one.
Nouq can also be found at select hotels, restaurants, health food stores and organic stores, in addition to Ripe Organic markets and Arabic inspired tourist spots around Dubai.
