Researchers show how we should really be eating ice cream... we have all been doing it completely wrong

The hot weather has already begun and no doubt we have all been reaching for the freezer. But it turns out we have all been eating ice creamthe entirely wrong way.

Sensory scientist Dr Sarah Kemp performed some research on the ice cream brand Oppo Brothers and discovered a seven-step way to the perfect scoop.

How you should eat your ice cream

1. Take your ice cream tub out of the freezer and leave it to defrost for 15 minutes. Now hold on and hear us out, the research shows that letting your ice cream tub defrost for a bit helps the spoon glide through easier and helps to release the aroma. Of course, if you skip this step we won't blame you.

2. Once you have your ice cream in your bowl or cone, scoop out a tiny bit with a teaspoon. Only scoop out enough to fill half the spoon.

3. Then, turn the spoon upside down and place the ice cream directly on your tongue. So your tastebuds can get a concentrated hit ofsweetness.

4. Move the ice cream around in the mouth and appreciate the coldness and texture.

5. Inhale through your mouth to amplify the flavour.

6. Keep your ice cream in your mouth for 12 seconds to savour the experience

7. Repeat for every spoonful to experience the full ice cream experience and flavour.

So it turns out to receive the optimum flavour we should really be treating our ice cream like a fine wine. However, we'd like to argue by the time this procedure is finished the whole bowl would have melted so it's perfectly acceptable to go in spoons blazing.