The Rukab family has been making ice cream since the 1930s, when Sarah Rukab started selling small batches of her secret recipe for booza—a stretchy ice cream that gets its elasticity from mastic gum—door to door in Ramallah, Palestine. In 2018, Fadi Rukab, a descendant of Sarah’s, decided to bring the concept to Houston by opening his own booza-dispensing ice cream shop in the Galleria area. The Houston shop features more than 20 different flavors like orange blossom, Turkish coffee, and rosewater, and now also sells frozen goods online, with delivery available nationwide. Meaning no matter where you are in this booza-deficient country, the Rukabs’ small family business can still make it right to your door.

The national chain that started in Ohio has taken Houston by storm with its creative flavors. There’s salted peanut butter with chocolate flecks, brown butter almond brittle, and darkest chocolate, along with dairy-free offerings like cold brew with coconut cream.

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams also has locations in the Heights and CityCentre.

When you want the traditional Indian ice cream known as kulfi, or maybe the cold drink falooda, there’s Kwality. At the chain’s three Houston-area locations, find flavors like Alphonso King Mango, and the wondrous kulfi falooda, made with rose, malai, and tukmaria (watercress seeds). You can go cone or cup, or again, pop it in a falooda with ingredients like basil seeds and vermicelli.

Kwality Ice Cream also has locations in Sugar Land and Richmond.

With its calming pink and white hues and its old-school parlor feel, Sweet Bribery certainly looks like a throwback. But the creativity runs high at this boozy sweet-treat establishment. Choose from flavors like candied pecan, cinnamon toast crunch, lemon thyme, cafe de olla, or mocha chip. For a refreshing beverage, try one of the adult sips and floats, like the real frosé made with house-churned frosé, maraschino cherries, and fresh fruit, or the stout float with vanilla ice cream and nitro stout.

With Houston’s large Latino population, it’s no surprise that our Mexican food scene extends beyond tacos and other savory options. At Treats of Mexico, you’ll find housemade traditional treats such as nieve de garrafa, mangonadas, and aguas frescas, as well as imported candies like Pulparindo, Pulparindots, mazapán, and more. Note: Treats of Mexico recently relocated from its longtime location in the East End to Spring Branch.