The Turkish Gelato-Selling Dunkin Donuts

Turkey's been popping up all around me lately (the country, not the bird). Did you ever have a random thing that has just suddenly been referred to in various parts of your life? It was in a book I read, in a movie, on the news, and a friend mentioned it randomly. So last night I dreamed that I went to Turkey and I was supposed to meet Whit in Turkey at some cafe that had the decor of a patio/garden but only indoors.

But I got to Turkey way early so I decided to shop in the market area (which in my dream looked amazingly like Church Street in Burlington, VT, for anyone who's been there). I browsed the area, talking to the Turkish people, who were all very friendly, except this one beggar but they have those in the U.S. too so you can't blame that on Turkey. I was hugely thrilled to see that they had Dunkin Donuts in Turkey, and the sign was written in both Arabic and English. I was relieved to discover that most Turkish people spoke English, as I do not speak Turkish.

The line inside was huge, as it was a warm day and Dunkin Donuts in Turkey apparently sells gelato, which the native Turks swear by. Who knew gelato would be so huge in Turkey? The girl in front of me in line insisted that I must try it and the woman who owned the shop, when she found out I was from Connecticut insisted on giving me a sample of their special flavor, Connecticut Yankee Almond Joy.

Apparently, whoever had sold her the recipe swore it was based on an old Connecticut favorite candy. So I tried it; it was three colors: pink, then brown, then yellow. The pink and yellow tasted just like the raspberry and lemon cream fillings at the candy store I used to work for. The brown was a yummy chocolate flavor with a marshmallowy consistency. I tried explaining to the Turkish shop lady that while the flavors individually tasted similar to candies we sold in my old shop, that there is no "traditional candy" from Connecticut that combines these flavors. She was so disappointed. Oh, and it had no almond in it whatsoever.

But I did decide to get not only my usual French Vanilla cream only but also some Turkish Connecticut Yankee Almond Joy Gelato (with no almonds). And then I woke up. Never did get to meeting Whit.

Number of uses of variations on the word Turkey: 15