Riz bi Haleeb

Short-grain rice softens in water first, then simmers a long time in milk. Sugar goes in late, because early sugar keeps the grain hard. Mastic and rose or orange blossom water carry the scent. The pudding is ladled hot into bowls, set in the fridge, and finished with ground pistachio or a dusting of cinnamon.

How it differs from muhallabiyeh

They stand side by side in the same window and both look white from a distance. The spoon settles it: muhallabiyeh is completely smooth, riz bi haleeb is grainy. One is set with starch from a packet, the other with the starch the rice releases. So one is a milk dessert and the other is a rice dish that turned sweet.

How it differs from Turkish sutlac

In Turkey rice pudding is usually finished under a grill, with the top scorched. Damascus has no such step. The bowl comes out cold, the surface stays flat and white, and what goes on top is pistachio rather than a burnt skin. Cinnamon is optional here, not automatic.

Where to find it

In the chilled window of a sweet shop, right beside the muhallabiyeh. Homes make it often too, in a pot large enough to fill a shelf of bowls that keep for a couple of days. In Ramadan it closes the iftar table more evenings than not.