Ice cream as art

Chef Zakeeya Mitha started selling cakes from her little kitchen in Durban in 2008. Baking had always been her passion and when she discovered the macaron — the French delicacy of meltin-the-mouth colourful discs of meringue made with ground almonds — she started experimenting and fell in love with the process.

But “when I tried to introduce them to the local Durban market, some tasted them but most passed my table with barely a glance”, said Mitha.

Not one to give up easily, Mitha saw something online, an ice-cream-macaron trend in Asia, a combination of creamy ice cream sandwiched with delicate nutty macarons, which she launched in Durban. The response has been overwhelming and led to the opening of her first store, Sugarlicious, in Umhlanga Ridge, and another in Florida Road in Durban.

The hat trick was the opening of a third store in Emmarentia, Johannesburg, in September.

Choosing from the impressive range of flavours that appeal to children and adults alike, my favourites are the chocolate ones, like the delectable Ferrero Inspired — a half-dipped Belgian chocolate ice macaron with Nutella spread, topped with roasted hazelnuts.

They are dinky, a great idea for dessert or a sweet treat, and each comes in its own box. The quality of chocolate used is top-notch, the real thing. According to Mitha, two popular flavours that have customers queuing up are Oreo Cookies & Cream and the Indian-inspired Burfee Ice Cream macaron.