There are many types of ice cream: ice cream, sorbet ice cream, water ice cream and gelato. In Italy it is the word for ice cream, but is there a difference with other types of ice cream? Yes and no.
Term ice cream
It depends in which country you are. In Italy, any type of ice cream is called gelato. It is a generic name for the frozen substance. Just as we put everything under “ice”. But if you come across the term gelato in the Netherlands, it indicates how ice cream is prepared.
The base of ice cream and gelato is the same
Just as ice cream and sorbet differ from each other, ice cream is prepared in its own way in our country. We explain the differences to you. The base of ice cream and gelato is the same: milk, cream and sugar. But the proportions and processing differ and that makes it both a different type of ice cream.
Read also: Tips for making ready-to-eat frozen ice cream
Ice
The ice cream is made with the basic ingredients and egg yolks. A lot of cream is added, the ice cream must have a minimum fat percentage of 10%, to carry the name. The percentage of fat can even reach 25%. The mixture is mixed at high speed, adding a lot of air.
Make your own ice cream?
Ice
The Italian variant is often made without egg yolks. Here, less cream is added, but more milk. The percentage of fat is therefore about 8%. The mixture is mixed at slow speed. As a result, less air enters the ice cream and this gives more flavor to the ice cream.
Sorbetius
The sorbet ice cream consists of fruit puree. It has no added milk or cream. This keeps the ice cream softer, even if it’s frozen.
Make your own sorbet ice cream
The temperature in the refrigerator
In addition, there is a temperature difference at which ice is stored. Because there is more air in ice cream, ice cream melts faster than ice cream. Ice cream should therefore be stored and served colder. And it makes the ice cream taste different.
(Source: Culy, Heel Holland Bakt, FavorFlav, FoodiesMagazine, Keuringsdienst van Waarde, eismann. Photos: Shutterstock)