I love ice cream. I have no qualms about that. It has been a long-standing love affair, starting with neopolitan and gino ginelli's toffee flavour when I was little, progressing to the flavour of the week and late-night brownie sundaes at G&Ds during my years at university. Now I have a particular penchant for Haagen Daaz Cookies and Cream, which I have been known to eat half a tub of (oh, ok then, more like two-thirds) at one sitting.

I have always found that I liked to eat ice cream more often than most other people I know, and in larger quantities. I had resigned myself to the fact that I was probably just a little bit greedier than most when it came to gelato.

But being in Argentina has been a revelation. I find that I am not alone. It seems, in fact, that ice cream is an Argentinian obsession, much like mate, football, and steak. Most major cities in Argentina have ice cream parlour on every street corner, like Starbucks in New York or London. They are open all day and late into the night – in short, there to help whenever that ice cream craving should strike you.

And as for the portions, well. Here is a picture of me about to enjoy a 'scoop' of strawberry sorbet. Bear in mind, if you will, that this was the SMALLEST portion size available. Most people were ordering a minimum of two flavours, piled high atop wafer cones, then dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with nuts. Others went for ¼ kg pots of the stuff, crammed with four or five different flavours.

Ice cream production here is something of an art – the old secret recipes brought over from Italy and then honed and perfected to incorporate local flavours like dulce de leche and calafate berry. The regular flavours too are outstanding – banana tastes like real banana, chocolate is full of flavour and even vanilla is done very well, made using real vanilla pods.

Ice cream heaven is definitely here in Argentina.