One on One: Zayna Buksh

Beat the scorching summer heat with Lieta Gelato. 20-year-old Zayna Buksh proudly serves all-natural gelato and sorbet in a myriad of custom flavours boasting a variety of ingredients. Zayna, who is also a psychology major, tells TEdit how she continues to challenge herself and set standards in the gourmet ice cream world.

How did you venture into the business?

I was making homemade gelato for myself and family, and got a really positive response. Then I did a little research about the way normal store brand ice creams were made, the types of ingredients used, and I just couldn’t bring myself to eat them. So I felt that if other people were aware of that also, they might share in that demand for a better product – more wholesome and fresh. I wanted to be able to create a natural, authentic gelato that feels good and tastes good.

What does Lieta mean?

Lieta is an Italian expression – it means the experience of pure happiness and pleasure. My goal with my brand, from the start, has been to get lieta the feeling and the product to as many people as possible.

Where do you derive inspiration from?

My customers, myself and the internet. I love it when people tell me they enjoy a particular flavour, and give suggestions of what new ones they’d like to try. And when there’s an idea in my head of some particular experience or food that I want to translate into gelato, the internet is where I go to learn more about the components of each part of the dessert. Then I work out the best way to make everything come together in gelato form and enjoy lots of delicious trial and error till it’s perfect.

What is the earliest memory you have associated with ice cream or gelato?

There’s quite a few – my life history could probably be written in ice cream milestones. If I had to pick the earliest one, I’d say going to Seaview with my friends and dipping hot fries into vanilla sundaes. I asked a similar question on social media the other day and it was so heart-warming to hear that people are forming those kinds of associations and happy memories with Lieta too.

What exactly is gelato and how is it different from ice cream?

Italian style Gelato and ice cream, while similar at first glance, have a few important differences in both technique and ingredients that result in a significant variance in the end product. Gelato is churned at a much slower speed than ice cream to incorporate less air and create a richer, denser final product that gives you an intense flavour and better value gram for gram. Whereas ice cream is usually comprised of equal thirds sugar, egg and cream, gelato uses much less sugar, an egg-free base and primarily whole milk. This creates a richer finished product that is lower in calories, sugar content and butterfat than traditional ice cream. I could rhapsodise on and on about the technical differences, but I’ll stop here.

What flavour do you like the most?

I’m always working on new interesting flavours, so my personal favorite could be different on any given day. I’m more of a vanilla person – Brittalia has a special place in my heart, and these days I can’t get enough of Vanilla Caramel Brownie. I eat a lot of our Apple Pie gelato as well in the autumn season.

Other than your own, which is your favourite ice cream brand?

Grom, an Italian chain. It turned me on to gelato and was my first proper experience of how different gelato actually is compared to ice cream.

What differentiates your offerings from those similar in the business?

When making ice cream or gelato, in the majority of cases brands use a powder type of pre mix for their flavours, combined with vegetable shortening and chemical emulsifiers to give it the right body and texture. We completely avoid all of that, and work very hard to keep it as artisan as possible, from our ingredients to our production. Our flavours are completely free of additives, preservatives, pre-mix/artificial flavours. Only fresh non-UHT milk, real fruit and pure ingredients – we don’t even use any prepackaged cookies, spreads or flavourings. Everything is done from scratch, and I really believe that commitment to authenticity translates in the finished product.

How can we get our hands on your products?

You can visit our website www.lietagelato.com to order for same day home delivery. We currently stock at Esajees (Gulberg, Y Block and Phase 5) and Alfatah (Goldcrest, Shadman, Hussain Chowk, Johar Town and Bahria Town). We also have a pop up shop in Packages Mall near Entrance 3.

What do you like to do when you’re not busy making gelato?

If I’m not making it, I’m eating it or thinking about it or I’m asleep. I do feel really connected to my brand, the flavours I’ve developed and the people I’ve had the opportunity to engage with as a result of all this. In all honesty, that’s what I like to do.

Out of all the flavours that you offer, name three that you think everyone should try?

Chocolate Caramel Brownie – that’s our best seller, definitely a must try. Then Brittalia is the first original flavour I made, and one of my personal favourites. Of course, Mango – a classic that shows how much difference fresh fruit makes in our products (also funnily enough, mango is the first gelato flavour I ever churned in my small home machine). And finally, Falsa Sorbet – I know that’s four, I just couldn’t leave it out.

Lieta also offers dairy free and vegan options, what has the response been like?

It’s been great. I think people appreciate the inclusivity, and we always try to be very mindful of allergens and dietary restrictions. Our gelato themselves are gluten free and egg free, and we have ranges of vegan, dairy free and sugar free flavours as well. The sorbets are so strong and flavourful as well as being very low calorie; our clients enjoy them