Instructions: During the 1980s, gelaterias sprang up all over the Bay Area. But food trends come and go, and by the 1990s, most shops serving gelato had turned to selling frozen yogurt and other icy confections.

But this summer, a new kind of gelato has hit the Bay Area. And this one has a surprising twist - its South American.

Argentina natives Hector Eduardo Speco, who helped to run his familys popular Buenos Aires gelateria for many years, and Joaqun Pochat set up shop this summer selling their handcrafted Argentine-style gelato.

The primary difference between Argentine gelato and the more familiar Italian version is texture: Argentine gelato is softer and smoother, with less stretch, as Pochat says, referring to the way some Italian gelati hold together with a taffy-like pull.

Italian outpost

Artisan gelato making in Argentina dates back to the huge wave of Italian immigration that occurred in the late 1800s, early 1900s, says Pochat.

In Argentina, ice cream shops are open until midnight, and you see whole families going out for an ice cream very late in the evening, sitting at outdoor tables enjoying the night.

That feeling is re-created at Tango Gelato in Oakland, though Pochat and Specos shop, which opened in June, is not open quite as late.

Children eye colorful, fruity flavors, such as cherries and cream, strawberry and pistachio, while adults ponder rum raisin, cafe and sambayon, made from a Marsala-infused egg yolk base. Sorbets, referred to as las frutas in Argentina, include mango, honeydew and kiwi.

Milk, not cream

Argentine-style gelato contains fewer calories and fat than some ice creams because it is made with an egg, milk and sugar base, with no added cream.

We start by preparing our base, mixing milk and sugar and sometimes eggs, Pochat says. For the sorbets, we use just fruit, sugar and water. Then we warm up the mix to intensify the flavor, and most important, we age it overnight.

This helps give our ice creams the smooth texture.

Finally, we put the mixture into our ice cream-making machine, which whips much less air into the mixture than normal ice cream.

My favorite is Tango Gelatos simple chantilly, or crema-flavored gelato.

Its wonderful alone, but I like to pair it with dulce de leche or chocolate.

It is important to serve gelato at the right temperature.

Our selling temperature is between 5 and 10 degrees, says Pochat. If you serve the gelato while it is too cold, then your taste buds cant pick up as much flavor. It should be soft but firm, so that it holds a cone shape but does not fall over.

Tango Gelato is currently available only at the Oakland shop, at select restaurants and at gourmet stores in the East Bay, such as The Pasta Shop in Berkeley. Pochat and Speco hope to open a second store on the Peninsula soon.

Gelato can be made at home in a good hand-cranked or electric ice cream machine. The first recipe is adapted from one used at Tango Gelato, while the second banana-flavored gelato is my own.

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