Bastani sonnati (Persian: بستنی سنتی, lit. 'traditional ice cream'), or simply bastani (بستنی), is an Iranian ice cream made from milk, eggs, sugar, rose water, saffron, vanilla, and pistachios. It is known widely as Persian ice cream.
The history of bastani probably began around 500 BCE in the Achaemenid Empire of Persia.[4][5] Various syrups would be poured over snow to produce summertime treats called "fruit ice" (sharbat). Typically, the ice was mixed with saffron, grape juices, fruits, and other flavours. The Greek leader Alexander the Great, who battled the Persians for ten years, enjoyed "fruit ices" sweetened with honey and chilled with snow.