What tastes like summer, is creamy smooth and tooth-achingly cold yet so satisfying and refreshing that when you tuck into just one scoopful of its deliciousness, each of your 99 life problems are instantly solved?

Ice cream, duh.

Now that we’re all on the same page, listen up: there’s a new pop-up ice-cream lab on the corner of Long Street (150) and Leeuwen Street in Cape Town, adjacent to Food Inn, called N2 Ice Cream Lab. The pop-up parlour opened its doors on Saturday 3 October and offers a choice of 10 flavours on the ‘periodic table of flavours’, ranging from salted caramel, Nutella, and peanut butter, to cookies and cream. Best of all, your chosen treat is ready in 1, 2, 3. No, really.

How it’s made

A liquid mixture comprising cream, full-cream milk, sugar (unless Banting) and your chosen flavour is churned using liquid nitrogen at -195°C and 60 seconds later, you get ice cream. It’s like magic but better – because you can eat it.

A chart showing how the ice cream is made. Photo courtesy of Ashraf Booley.

What it tastes like

Just like ordinary ice cream. It’s creamy smooth, but with tiny ice crystals that I found, in all honestly, a little unpalatable. But hey, it might be your thing. If, like me, you’re nuts about Nutella – try this flavour, which tastes very much like the real McCoy, though it could be slightly more Nutella-ish. I opted for crushed Oreos as a topping, but it tastes so much better without. The cookies and cream is also a winner.

The damage

A regular tub (chocolate or vanilla), will set you back R30, plus R5 extra for other flavours. A large tub (chocolate or vanilla) costs R40, plus R5 extra for other flavours. If you want toppings– think cubes of Turkish delight, M&M’s, jelly beans, crushed Oreos and chopped nuts – add another R5.

A regular tub of Nutella ice cream topped with crushed Oreos. Photo courtesy of Ashraf Booley.

And…

Good news for Banters: there’s a Banting vanilla flavour that excludes sugar.

N2 Ice Cream Lab is open from 11am to 5pm Monday to Saturday, and from 12 noon to 4pm on Sundays. Remember it’s only open for one month, and the doors close on Saturday 31 October, so try it while you can. For more info, visit http://www.n2icecreamlab.co.za or check out their Facebook page.