Sherbet and sorbet are both frozen desserts with fruit as a key ingredient. So how exactly do the two differ? Let's find out.
First, it helps to understand that sherbet and sorbet both rely on fruit, and because their names sound so similar, many people assume they are the same dessert with two different names. In fact, that is not the case: the two are genuinely different.
Ice cream is normally made mainly from milk, fat and sugar, mixed with other ingredients. Sherbet and sorbet differ from regular ice cream and gelato because neither of them contains fat.
What Is the Difference Between Sherbet and Sorbet?
The key factor that clearly separates sherbet from sorbet is milk, another common ice cream ingredient. Sherbet contains a small amount of milk, while sorbet contains no milk at all. Put simply, sorbet is like a frozen blended fruit juice, because it contains no milk or fat.
Because milk is the ingredient that differs, the two desserts also have different textures. Sherbet, which contains milk, is creamier, smoother and more elastic than sorbet, which has a fine, icy, crystalline texture.
Fruits Used in Sherbet and Sorbet
Sherbet and sorbet are usually made with tart fruits, especially oranges, lemons and limes, strawberries and raspberries. Their sweet-sour taste is light and refreshing and cleanses the palate well after a main course. That does not mean sherbet or sorbet must always use sour fruit, though. Today both are made with a wide variety of fruit, depending on what grows locally or is in season. In Thailand, you will see flavors such as mango, lime, passion fruit, lychee, mayongchid (marian plum) and salak (snake fruit), depending on personal taste, as well as more unusual flavors and aromas such as green tea, parsley, lavender and herbs.
The Growing Popularity of Sherbet and Sorbet
Fruit-based frozen desserts like sherbet and sorbet are becoming increasingly popular in Thailand, especially now that healthy eating is a strong trend. Because they contain no fat, sherbet and sorbet are lower in calories than regular ice cream and many other desserts, making them an excellent alternative for health-conscious dessert lovers.
