Manager Philipe Villanueva pulls out a gigantic Peruvian cookbook with images of the fruits that define the ice creams. ''Little English,'' he says. ''Pero, mucho lucuma'' (But, a lot of lucuma).

BRAZIL

Texas de Brazil's Papaya Creme ($6.75) is a salacious summer shake of fresh papaya, vanilla ice cream and cassis liqueur. It arrives in a glacier-cold goblet with an orchid garnish. It's so opulent, you almost feel guilty drinking it on one of the South Beach venue's balconies while gazing at the dreamy boats that glide on snow-cone-blue waters. (Top off your shake with a shot of port or cognac for a tasty and sybaritic twist.)

''My fondest memory of eating Brazilian papaya creme is sharing it with my best friend in a little restaurant in my neighborhood of Humaitain Rio [beneath Christ's right armpit],'' e-mails Sheila Thomson, author of Maria's Cookbook (www.maria-brazil.org).

JAMAICA

When one thinks of Jamaican ice cream, two flavors come to mind, grape nut and rum raisin. Certainly, not jerk -- unless you are Paul Johnson.

In 1989, the Trelawney, Jamaica, native began experimenting with an ice cream homage to the famous island barbecue seasoned (depending upon whom you ask) with allspice, thyme, onion, garlic, black pepper and, most importantly, scotch bonnet pepper.

''It came out too hot,'' Johnson says. ``But, eventually, we got it right.''

The result is a creamy, nutty vanilla body with the piquant bite of scotch bonnet at the finish.

Johnson's spicy ice cream, under the Tropical Flavors brand, is manufactured and distributed wholesale by Ben-Hill Farms of Florida. It's sold at Boston Juicy Jerk Restaurant in Lauderhill and seasonally

at the

Jerk

Festival in Markham Park and other Jamaican festivals around the country. Johnson hopes to sell pints and half-gallons to club stores and supermarkets someday.

''Jerk ice cream?'' asks my skeptical mother, a native of Craighead, Jamaica. Then, after a couple of scoops:

``Nice. Very nice. People can eat this with black cake or mango. But I still love Carvel.''

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