Conversations with Shafna Shamsuddin

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shafna Shamsuddin. 

Hi Shafna, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
As my brand tag line goes, I sell stories and smiles, and Elaka Treats is my story. It is the story of my journey as a woman, a Muslim, a lifelong immigrant, a dreamer, and a parent, arising from my desperation for a creative outlet to express myself and bond with people in a genuine way, without any facade and illusions. The seeds for Elaka Treats were probably sown from the moment I came across residential ice cream makers at my favorite kitchenware stores, purchasing one after years of looking and longing, and making kulfi, a traditional Indian ice cream that originates from Persia. One day, upon returning from a visit to my local coop for groceries, and feeling homesick with cravings for plantains, the idea to create plantain ice cream formed. It was a moment of epiphany, as I myself had never experienced plantain ice cream, and knew that I had created something that can be executed with so many non-conventional ice cream ingredients and flavors, with an underlying flavor note, that is key to my Indian and Middle Eastern heritage. The common flavor note being ‘Cardamom,’ aka ‘Elaka,’ in my mother tongue Malayalam. Inspired by my heritage and desire to share my experiences and tastes, Elaka Treats formed. After working on the idea for few years without any guidance, no clue where to start, and always meeting dead ends, my idea came to realize, upon sharing my dream with my friend, my Jinn, in 2018, which led me to my current production facility Piedmont Food Processing Center in Hillsborough. Suddenly, all the pieces to the puzzle started falling into place, and my idea materialized and became a reality. Albeit the journey was full of ups and downs (and still is an endless roller coaster ride), Elaka Treats launched in June 2020, amidst the peak of pandemic chaos and uncertainties, at Wendell farmers market, close to 100 miles away from my home in Greensboro. Since then, I branched out to other farmers’ markets in the area and beyond. Currently, I am a vendor at 6 farmers’ markets in NC, and working on pursuing wholesale goals. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road as an adult is never smooth, and one should never expect it to be so. However, what was unexpected was the lack of support by people who had assured me their assistance and help, and an unexpected pandemic that still seems very surreal, and blindsided us. As a business that ended up being a one-woman show, it has been an endless journey of struggles. From losing friendship to lack of help, to heartbreaks, to financial struggles, to sleepless nights, I have lost faith in people so many times, in this journey. However, the saving grace of it all are my wonderful customers, who will show up to support my hard work and/or will convey messages and feedbacks that clearly indicates support and enthusiasm for my work and myself. Hence, why I still have faith in humanity and people. 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I create cardamom-infused Indian and Middle Eastern-flavored frozen treats, inspired by my heritage. All my flavors, except for one, kulfi, are my own creations either by the flavor profile or by the execution of the flavor. My goal is to share my experiences and tastes from my heritage, therefore I recreate non-ice cream treats, flavors, and experiences in the form of churned frozen artisanal desserts, using all-natural ingredients, no preservatives, and sourcing locally, when possible, to present fresh homemade like artisanal ice creams and frozen treats. 

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Simply put – Authenticity, Dedication and Hardwork 

Pricing:

• 3oz – $2.75-$3.25
• 60z – $5.50-$6.50
• Pint – $9.75-$15

Contact Info:

• Email: za-jinn@elakatreats.com
• Website: www.elakatreatscom
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elakatreats/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elakatreats/

Image Credits
Melea Schneider
Stacey Sprenz