Ice cream is a frozen dessert that comes in countless flavors and styles. If we group ice cream by its main ingredients, how many types are there? Let's find out.
The world of ice cream is vast and surprisingly complex. With so many flavors and styles, ice cream can be classified in many ways: by flavor, ingredients, fat content or texture. Grouped by main ingredients, it falls into four types:
1. Ice Cream
Traditional ice cream is the most popular of all. It is made from milk, sugar, fat (cream) and flavorings to suit each variety, such as chocolate, vanilla, coffee or cookies and cream.
Ice cream also has a sub-category called gelato. The difference between ice cream and gelato lies in the proportions of the main ingredients, milk and cream. Ice cream has a higher proportion of fat and cream than gelato, with at least 10% fat, and may also include egg yolks.
Gelato, the Italian version of ice cream, has less fat and cream than ice cream, at about 5–7% of the total mix, and is usually made without eggs.
2. Yogurt Ice Cream
Yogurt ice cream has the same main ingredients as ice cream, with yogurt added. It is sweet and well-rounded like ice cream, but has a much lower fat percentage and a slight tang from the yogurt.
3. Sherbet
Sherbet's key ingredients are fruit, milk and sugar, without added fat. When milk fat is used in sherbet, it is limited to no more than 1–3%; above 3%, it is classed as ice cream. Sherbet is usually made with tart fruits, so it has a sweet-sour flavor, a smooth, fine texture and a bright color.
4. Sorbet
Sorbet is similar to sherbet in that it is made with fruit, but unlike sherbet it contains no milk. Some sorbets may use egg white instead. Sherbet, which contains milk, has a creamy, smooth and elastic texture, while sorbet has a fine, icy texture.
Sherbet and sorbet are becoming increasingly popular today, especially among health-conscious eaters who often choose these two styles. Knowing the different types of ice cream by main ingredient can also help you keep track of how much milk fat and cream you eat.
