Gelato Vs. Ice Cream
Gelato and ice cream are both frozen, usually dairy-based desserts that are popular among people of all ages the world over. The main differences between gelato and ice cream are the texture, fat content, ingredients and air content. The result is a smoother gelato and a fluffier ice cream. However, as both desserts have become more familiar, ice creams have begun to mimic the ingredients and qualities of gelati, and vice versa. Does this Spark an idea?
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Texture
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The most noticeable difference between gelato and ice cream is the texture. Gelato feels softer and smoother on the tongue than most ice creams and also melts faster. Further, there is more uniformity in gelato than ice cream. Gelato tends to be dense and smooth across the board. Some ice creams are very dense and silky while others are airy and light. Gelati are also made and stored at a higher temperature than ice cream, which helps achieve the smooth texture.
Origins
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Gelato hails from Italy, while ice cream was created in the United States. Sorbetti are water-based and dairy-free gelati that originated in southern Italy. Dairy-based gelato originated in northern Italy. Both desserts are still popular in their home countries.
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Air and Fat Content
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Gelato is denser than ice cream, because it is churned at a lower speed and therefore contains less air. Typical gelato contains about 25 percent air, while ice cream is closer to 50 percent air. Gelato also contains less fat than ice cream, usually about 7 percent, compared with ice cream's 16 to 30 percent.
Ingredients
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Both ice cream and gelato are typically made from sugar, milk, eggs and flavorings. Traditional gelato rarely contained cream, but more recently cream has been incorporated into gelato recipes and eggs have been replaced with other stabilizing agents. Even among very traditional ice cream and gelato recipes there is some variation in the use or exclusion of eggs and cream, making the line between gelato and ice cream ingredients a blurry one.
Overlap
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High quality ice creams in the United States resemble gelato's texture because they contain less air. Contemporary gelati in Italy sometimes have higher fat contents to mimic the richness of American ice cream. Similarly, other countries have created their own frozen desserts that fall somewhere between the two: Argentinean helado and French glace each incorporate some aspects of both gelato and ice cream.
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