Wherever I am, be it a new place I we are visiting on vacation or simply where I happen to be on any given day I am constantly searching on Yelp for good food places in the area.  Shortly after I started working downtown, I was looking one afternoon or evening for places to possibly pick up food for dinner after work.  If I remember correctly I think I was looking specifically for pizza.  Somehow, I stumbled on the Yelp entry for Uncle Wiggly’s Ice Cream (under the label of Taharka Brothers).

What really piqued my attention was the mention of Berger Cookie Ice Cream!  I am a huge Berger Cookie fan, so the idea of Berger Cookie ice cream was naturally very interesting to me!  What I found was some of the richest, creamiest and delicious combination of flavors in ice cream, including Berger Cookie, Key Lime Pie and Graham Cracker.  What I found was Taharka Brothers Ice Cream.

I would later find out that Taharka Brothers is a company founded on an idea of young Black men coming together for something positive, productive and entrepreneurial.  It is a benefit corporation intended to benefit the public, named after a young reformed African American male in Baltimore City who was shot and killed trying to break up an altercation.  Now, with little more than some ice cream carts and a factory (which I was unable to find to photograph), Taharka Brothers is carried by local groceries, ice cream shops, delis and restaurants.  They also started serving their ice cream to local colleges and universities.  Their motto is “Welcome to social consciousness returned, to imagination restored to business reshaped.”

I’m truly excited for what lies on the horizon for this young company.  I am inspired by their message, by their mission and their story.  But above all, I’m in love with their product.  Taharka Brothers ice cream is sweet without being overly sugary or syrupy.  It is creamy without being fatty or sickeningly rich.  Their flavors are true and their combinations complement each other without overwhelming or confusing the palate.

The Berger Cookie flavor is a light vanilla/espresso blend to complement chopped up Berger Cookies mixed in and swirled with fudge.  The Key Lime Pie tastes just like a frozen version of the pie, or even better since I love the ice cream but honestly don’t care that much for the pie.  The Fudge Brownie is infused with brownie batter, the Graham Cracker has real graham crackers in it and most recently they started a batch of Baugher’s Peach with real peaches from the Baugher’s farm in Westminster.

“Welcome to social consciousness returned, to imagination restored to business reshaped.”

The Best of Baltimore indeed.

Taharka Brothers Ice Cream can be purchased at local markets such as Eddie’s, or at Uncle Wiggly’s Ice Cream shops.

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