By the end of the 19th century waves of Italian immigrants started settling in Argentina, as they did in the US . Many brought with them the traditional art of gelato making, and opened scores of gelaterias in the main cities as well as in small inland towns. These small ice cream shops produced their own "helado" (gelato in Spanish) by hand, using traditional recipes handed down from father to son. During more than one hundred years the Italian recipes were adapted to use the rich farm produce of the pampas, and over the years new flavors were added and became popular, such as the now world famous "dulce de leche" (literally milk jam) made with a traditional Argentine dessert.

Today, artisan "helado" making, together with barbecued beef, has become part of traditional Argentine gourmet food. Tourists from all over the world, as well as many Americans, have returned home from Argentina delighted after tasting Argentine "helado" (gelato).

Buenos Aires Gelato now brings to the specialty food market of the Bay Area the traditional Argentine know how in Gelato making.