Stunned with ice cream made from dried fish, caterpillars, not everyone dares to try

Tucked between a second-hand book and record store at Observatory, a suburb of Cape Town (South Africa), is a shop with a blackboard that says "Tapi Tapi - Handcrafted Authentic African Ice Cream".

This location has become one of the most popular food establishments in Cape Town since opening in October 2020.

Founder of Cape Town's most famous ice cream parlor

Tapiwa Guzha, owner of Tapi Tapi ice cream parlor.

In the shop's small kitchen, Zimbabwean postdoctoral molecular biologist Tapiwa Guzha is creating one-of-a-kind ice cream flavors.

- How did the molecular biologist become the founder of one of Cape Town's most famous ice cream parlors?

"It was a coincidence," Guzha said.

It all started when Guzha watched a cooking show and saw how to use dry ice to make ice cream. He easily accessed this material and started experimenting at home.

Guzha describes himself as a "curious scientist". He turned to ice cream after experimenting with dry ice.

Unique ice cream ingredients

Guzha uses typical ingredients and flavors, representing the regions of Africa, to create ice creams that tell the culinary and cultural stories of indigenous Africans.

Kapenta fish, Mopane worms, toffee, Scotch Bonnet peppers create a unique creamy flavor.

For these unique ice creams, Guzha drew inspiration from everywhere. It could be a conversation, a scent, a daily meal or a yearning for the ocean. He says social media also plays an important role in the discovery, discovery and innovation of flavors.

Red Finger Millet (or red finger millet) is rich in nutrients, widely grown across the continent. Dried black-eyed peas and tiger nuts from West Africa. The East, Central and South Africa regions have dried Kapenta fish, also known as Matemba, which has a strikingly salty taste. Dried Mopane caterpillars, chewy, crunchy and nutritious, are a favorite in South Africa. All the above ingredients will be turned into a new ice cream flavor that will surprise, delight and even make you feel horror.

Hibiscus, clove and anise ice cream or malted millet ice cream are some of the unique flavors created by Guzha.

Tapiwa Guzha explains: 'I don't really create ice cream flavors according to the traditional idea. I do what I like and combine whatever ingredients I find."

Another ingredient that Guzha is particularly interested in is Mphepho, an herb used in traditional medicine in South Africa and also believed to have a connection to the spirit world. By creating ice cream from this ingredient, he hopes to expand people's understanding of the sacred plant.

The menu at Tapi Tapi changes daily and no two ice creams are the same.

While the ingredients may be of ancient origin, Tapi Tapi's menu is by no means outdated or duplicated. Guzha claims to have created more than 800 different flavor combinations.