By PAOLA SINGER

In Palermo, a neighborhood of Buenos Aires, a specialty store called Persicco doles out a confection called chocuquinna. It has a sweet dulce de leche base balanced with hints of cream cheese and laced with chocolate chunks of a cross between a crunchy cookie and a spongy cake. The chocuquinna is one of many new ice creams that incorporate the traditional South American ingredient dulce de leche, a creamy jam made by simmering milk and sugar.

While this jam turns up in almost every kind of dessert, it’s especially versatile as a frozen treat. In the last few years, Buenos Aires’s heladerias, or ice cream parlors, have introduced a heap of varieties that include some form of dulce de leche .

Many of the city’s more than 2,000 creameries now carry up to 10 options in this category . “The gourmet ice cream trend has reached a peak,” said Horacio Spinetto, whose book “Heladerias de Buenos Aires” was released in March. “The flavor that sells the most, by far, is dulce de leche.

It represents the ice cream of Argentina.” Dulce de leche scoops are nothing new. But lately, this flavor has been the object of much experimentation. Since Persicco opened in 2001, it has used dulce de leche in several new recipes .

“We are leaders in development; the others come and look at us,” said Juan Martin Guarracino, one of Persicco’s founders. Fellow ice cream makers disagree. “Different creameries create different ice creams,” said Ariel Davalli, a co-owner of a chain called Chungo. “Our clients want novelty, and we have to be ingenious. Every season we come up with new flavors.” Chungo has a dulce de leche and cream cheese helado, or ice cream. Marbled with pure dulce de leche and cookie crumbs, it is named cucuruccino.

Although the precise origins of dulce de leche are unknown, Argentina likes to think of it as homegrown. In fact, the government recently declared it part of the nation’s cultural patrimony, to the irritation of some neighbors. What’s indisputable is the Argentines’ adoration of this treat. “We were raised on dulce de leche,” said Francis Mallmann, a chef. To unaccustomed palates, dulce de leche on its own can taste overly sweet.

But as an ice cream, it has a global appeal. Haagen-Dazs introduced it in the United States in the late ‘90s with great success . To hear the heladeros, or ice cream makers, in Buenos Aires tell it, their versions may be hard to beat. “Argentine ice cream is known throughout the world because it’s still done the old-fashioned way,” said Mr. Davalli of Chungo, noting that natural ingredients like fresh eggs and fruits are often used.

This year, the Argentine milk industry created a contest for best dulce de leche ice cream, and awarded the top prize to Chungo. “When Argentines move to another country, one of the things they miss, aside from their family, is dulce de leche,” said Jorge Davalli, a co-owner.