What is the difference between ice cream and gelato?

When the summertime approaches, people’s first choice of a delicious sweet meal is by far a scoop or more of ice cream. During the last years, another popular option is the so-called gelato. Many of us believe that these two types of frozen dishes are identical. However, that’s not true! There are actually some significant differences between those two.

Amount of air into the dessert

The most important difference those two types of desserts have is the amount of air each of it contains. Most of us don’t really know it, but ice cream is mainly made by pure air. Ice cream normally contains more than

50 percent air after it’s being twiddled. On the other hand, a scoop of gelato has 25-90 percent less volume than a similarly sized scoop of ice cream. This happens because gelato is typically churned more slowly than ice cream.

Ingredients and fat

A typical ice cream must contain at least 10 percent fat. Fat is what makes ice cream rich and fluffy. On the opposite side, gelato doesn’t have to contain a certain amount of fat. The three main ingredients a gelato usually contains are sugar, milk and corn starch. The starch is actually the ingredient that helps the gelato be undivided, without the appearance of crystals. Since the actual base of a gelato is milk, it usually contains

less fat than ice cream. The amount can be less than 70 percent of fat compared to an ice cream. Studies have shown that foods that contain less fat are perceived by the brain as more delicious and flavored.

The ingredients of an ice cream are first cooked together until they form a rich custard. This custard base is then cooled and churned at a high speed. That leads to an increase in volume with the incorporation of air. Although both gelato and ice cream are made by almost the same ingredients, their difference lies in the proportions of them, as well as on how they are churned together.

Serving temperature

The ideal temperature ice cream should be served is quite different than that of gelato. A typical gelato temperature should be around 25 degrees Fahrenheit, while when it comes to ice cream, the temperature falls down considerably and reaches an average temperature of 10 degrees Fahrenheit. That cold temperature makes ice cream scoops hold together and the final product is creamy, smooth and delicious.

It is true that a frozen dessert can be the perfect choice for the hot summer days. When you have to choose between a variety of delicious icy landscapes, including the traditional ice cream and some more novice ideas, like gelato, sherbets and granitas, we usually face ourselves with some misconceptions. The truth is we usually use the term ice cream to describe a wide range of frozen delights. However, a typical ice cream recipe is very definite in its proportions of ingredients, as well as in its serving way. We should be able to differentiate it over the Italian gelato, in terms of ingredients, proportions, amount of fat, temperature and serving options.