As a catchy title for the people of Sidon… What was the ice cream that colored your childhood days?! If you were an authentic Sedawi, you would say “gift ice cream” and what else would you think?! Ice cream gifts are the heritage of Sidon since 1958 until today. Whoever comes from abroad and does not taste this ice cream has missed half his life, or even more.

In 1958, Hajj Nazih Al-Nawam decided to set up with his two sons an ice cream factory in one of the old neighborhoods of Sidon, and called it “Hidaya” without this name having a specific reason or any story. Today, the lab still operates as it has since its inception, with the same quality that reminds you of your childhood.

The types of ice cream produced by the factory are of two types, ice cream with many flavors such as berries, melon and sour, and another type of chocolate, milk and pistachio. Today, the demand for it has become a confirmation of a special Sidonian identity among the younger generation, who heard about it from parents and grandmothers. This ice cream has largely been able to form part of Sidon’s history, as the people of the region are waiting to return to it during the summer to enjoy its unparalleled taste and there is no analogue or substitute for it outside or inside Sidon.

Especially since its owner, Muhammad Al-Nawam, insists on distributing it to the shops of the city. The secret of this ice cream lies in a recipe that Muhammad inherited from his father, Nazih al-Nawam. . Today, we see many people trying to imitate this ice cream in taste, shape and packaging in Sidon and the neighborhood, but all of them failed to reach the distinctive and refreshing flavor enjoyed by Hedaya ice cream, despite the fact that they obtained a similar shape to it, as confirmed by the people of the region.