#gelato🍦🍨🍧🍦🍨🍧

[xtruss]

Photograph Geovanna Rivera

The Differences Between Ice Cream, Sorbet, Italian Ice, And Gelato, Explained

— Pete O'Connell | Published: June 4, 2024 | Sunday May 25, 2025

The world’s love affair with icy delights is centuries old. The earliest evidence of frozen dessert can be traced back to ancient China, where people consumed ice flavored with various syrups and extracts. During China’s Tang period (which lasted from the early 600s to early 900s A.D.) the original purveyors of pseudo-ice cream heated buffalo, cow, and goat milk and fermented the stuff into a yogurt. Then, they would thicken it with flour, flavor it with wood extract, and chill it before serving.

A few hundred years later, the practice made its way to Italy and morphed into sorbet and gelato. There are many different stories as to how these transformations actually happened, though none have been officially confirmed. Some say Marco Polo played a hand, while others point to Florentine stage designer Bernardo Buontalenti as being the alleged inventor of gelato. Regardless of who was responsible, one thing we can all agree on is that frozen desserts take many forms, and they’re all tasty.

That said, what are the actual differences between ice cream, gelato, sorbet, and Italian ice other than their origins? We’re here to dish up the inside scoop — pun intended — on some of the most popular frozen desserts out there.

What Is Ice Cream?

The main component that defines ice cream is its inclusion of eggs. Traditionally, it contains a custard base of eggs, milk, cream, and sugar that’s frozen and then rapidly churned to infuse air into the mixture. This churning process happens at such a rate that detectable ice crystals are not present in the final product.

In addition to sugar, ice cream manufacturers add hundreds of different flavors and sweeteners, from fruit to cocoa to vanilla. Overall, ice cream has a higher fat content than gelato or sorbet, and it’s usually served at colder temperatures, giving it a thicker texture.

What Is Gelato?

There are exceptions to the rule, but unlike ice cream, gelato almost never contains eggs. It does, however, contain milk, cream, and sugar — just in different proportions. Gelato also has less cream in its base than ice cream, but it includes more milk and sugar.

That said, gelato’s ingredients alone aren’t what make it so dense, rich, and smooth. Its silky texture is due in large part to its slow rate of churning, which incorporates less air into the final product. Gelato is also served at higher temperatures than ice cream, making it both creamier and more nuanced in flavor. You’ll find this treat all over Italy, in flavors from pistachio to coffee to lemon.

What Is Sorbet?

Sorbet, which is essentially a variation on Italian granita, does not contain any dairy products. Its composition is simple: water, sugar, and a flavoring agent (typically fruit purée or fruit juice). Its smooth consistency comes mainly from its churning process, which is near-identical to that of ice cream. Sometimes, producers will even put alcohol into sorbet to give it a smoother texture, due to alcohol’s low freezing point. Compared to its sibling Italian ice, sorbet is much richer and packs roughly twice the calories. That said, both sorbet and Italian ice are low in fat, given that no dairy is in the mix.

What Is Italian Ice?

Despite its name, Italian ice is an American invention, created by Italian immigrants in the early 20th century. Italian ice contains water, sugar, fruit purées or juices, and sometimes natural or artificial flavoring. The key difference between sorbet and Italian ice is the ice itself: The latter contains larger chunks and is churned at a slightly slower rate than sorbet, giving it a more grainy, slightly crunchy texture. Italian ice is less dense than sorbet, which explains its lower calorie count — there’s simply more ice in it.

Water ice is another form of Italian ice, native to the Philadelphia area. It’s slightly chunkier than standard Italian ice, but it’s more or less the same thing — unless you ask someone from Philly.

[strawberryamanita]

Fuck it, shitpost poll time

I want icecream :< 🍧🍨🍦

[kseenefrega]

A volte è meglio

pensare meno.

Molto meno.

E godere le cose di più.

Ad esempio con un

buon gelato.

-Fabrizio Caramagna-

🍦🍧🍨

[redwinewhiteroses]

Hi cutie! Omg so excited for your game hehe. Hope you are staying very cutesy and very demure ✨ My nickname is Nikkie and I am a libra rising. Pronouns are she/her interested in he/him :)) I absolutely LAUVVVVV a bomb ass gelato teehee, it never fails to finish off a meal. just thinking about it makes me salivate sheesh😭😭😭😭

Thank you so much for doing these reading for us, it means a lot and I’m so grateful!! Hope you have amazing weekend ahead Angel!! Big wet kisses MUAHH😚

OMG gelato is THE best! 🍧🍦🍨

Four of Wands : Your fs is someone who values stability and foundations in life. He is someone who believes that it is important to celebrate life no matter how big or small their achievements are. He is also laying roots to his life and overall in a very happy and content place rn. He can be very social and very in the moment person. Also he is a very caring person. He can be celebrating some major life events.

Three of Cups : He is going through some good events in his life right now. He is a person who is very lighthearted and joyful. Who knows how to have fun at the moment, also loves hanging out with people. I think he prefers sweet emotional connections with people. Probably has a lot of friends or few very close friendships that he treasures.

Eight of Cups : He is definitely someone who values looking for meaning in life through people, relationships and opportunities. He will be on the hunt for new experiences. He can let go of situations if they are emotionally draining him. I get this very dynamic, light, sagittarius/leo energy, significant water energy with a bit of earth energy.

So someone who believes in taking roots somewhere, but also someone who doesn't let that stop them from experiencing life. I'm not sure of this, but maybe they recently have started being sober if they were drinking before. If not it's simply they are working through their emotions. Also they can be assessing situations with mental clarity. Can be an emotional person in general who loves being around their loved ones but also likes to have a bit of alone time once in a while to recharge their energy and emotions.

[camilladerricoart]

One of my favorite things about being an artist is creating fan art. 👩‍🎨😍 I absolutely love Hello Kitty, so I turned her into gelato, Kitty a la Mode 🎀💝🍦🍨🍧And since it's summer, I’m excited to bring this to life as a special enamel pin for San Diego Comic-Con, along with the SDCC exclusive Kitty A la Mode mint chocolate chip colorway😋💚🤎🙌

•

Come see me at booth 4723 on July 24th-28th to grab these adorable pins.😉 If you can't make it, the Kitty A la Mode regular enamel pin will also be available online during my San Diego Comic-Con release on July 24th on camilladerrico.com🛒🥰🎉

•

•

•

#enamelpin #pingamestrong #camilladerricoart #gelato #icecream #hellokitty #sanrio #fanart #exclusiveitems #summervibes #SDCC2024

[runawaymun]

🍦🍧🍨 ICE CREAM DELIVERY!! 🍨🍧🍦 give ice cream to your favourite bloggers and help them stay cool this summer. 😎🍦

(It can be nondairy, sherbet, or gelato)

awww thank you!!! <3

[bosses-stay-flawless]

Il suo spirito mi ricorda le mie cose e i miei luoghi preferiti, la sua personalità emana un diverso tipo di felicità che arriva solo con la libertà!

🍦🍨🍧🍦🍨🍧🍦🍨🍧🍦🍨🍧🍦🍨🍧

I🧡gelato!!!

[queenfinehair]

🍦🍧🍨 ICE CREAM DELIVERY!! 🍨🍧🍦 give ice cream to your favourite bloggers and help them stay cool this summer. 😎🍦

Oh thank you! Can I swap mine for Gelato though?? 💋🥰💋

[riccardofranchinilucca]

🍨 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐳𝐞 𝐞 𝐢𝐥 𝐌𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨 𝐆𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐨: Una Delizia Nata nel Cuore del Rinascimento Sapete qual è uno dei più dolci regali che Firenze ha fatto al mondo? No, non è solo l’arte di Michelangelo o la poesia di Dante… è il GELATO! Sì, proprio lui: cremoso, fresco, irresistibile. Ma dietro quella pallina colorata c’è una storia che profuma di genio, spezie e meraviglia. 🌟 𝐒𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐨 𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐂𝐢𝐧𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨. La città è un’esplosione di arte e invenzioni, i Medici regnano sovrani, e tra architetti, pittori e filosofi, spunta un personaggio che nessuno si aspettava diventasse… il padre del gelato: 𝐁𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐨 𝐁𝐮𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢. 🧠 Chi era? Un genio multitasking: architetto, ingegnere, scenografo, e sorpresa delle sorprese anche inventore culinario! Per un banchetto spettacolare alla corte dei Medici, Bernardo non si accontenta di un dolce qualunque. Mescola latte, miele, zucchero, tuorlo d’uovo, aromi di arancia e bergamotto… poi fa una magia: lo raffredda con ghiaccio e sale in una macchina che oggi potremmo chiamare la trisnonna del frigorifero. Nasce così la 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚 𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐚. 🔬❄️ 🍧 Quel momento è la scintilla. Firenze diventa la culla di una rivoluzione del gusto. La sua “crema Buontalenti”, ancora oggi celebrata nelle migliori gelaterie, è un omaggio all’arte del gelato nella sua forma più pura e raffinata. 𝐌𝐚 𝐧𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐢! 🚀 Quando 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐝𝐞’ 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐢 sposa Enrico II di Francia, porta con sé, oltre ai cuochi fiorentini, anche la ricetta di questo nettare freddo. Così, il gelato attraversa le Alpi e conquista le corti europee. ✨🇫🇷 E c’era anche 𝐑𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢, un pollivendolo con il talento del sorbetto, che da semplice commerciante diventa chef di corte grazie alla sua arte del gelo. 🍦 𝐃𝐚 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐳𝐞 𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐨 Oggi il gelato italiano è patrimonio dell’umanità (anche se non ancora ufficialmente UNESCO… ma ci stanno lavorando!), ma la sua anima è tutta fiorentina. Quando gustate una pallina di “Buontalenti” a Firenze in qualche angolo nascosto dell’Oltrarno sappiate che state assaggiando un pezzo di storia, nato tra le colonne rinascimentali e l’estro di un genio toscano. (La domanda è….. quale gelateria?) 💬 𝐄 𝐯𝐨𝐢? 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐞̀ 𝐢𝐥 𝐯𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨 𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐨? ———— #riccardofranchini_storie_di_cibo

www.facebook.com/share/p/1G5MZ8VCCL/ Clicca🖕

[bonzatrading]

🍦🥄 Indulge in the ultimate ice cream experience with the 7-inch Nonstick Anti-Freeze Ice Cream Scoop! 🍨✨ Say goodbye to struggling with stubborn scoops – this heavy-duty aluminum spoon effortlessly glides through gelato, cookie dough, sorbet, and almond goodness. 🙌🎉 Its nonstick magic ensures perfect scoops every time, and the easy-clean design means more time enjoying and less time cleaning up! Get ready to scoop your way to frozen delight heaven! 🌟🍧

Learn more

https://amzn.to/3QH0uMC

#ScoopJoy #IceCreamDreams

[alicesfeelings]

Se vi sentite depressi mangiatevi un gelato.

🍦🍧🍨

[tenthgrove]

Ok so

🥣 Soup

And

🍦🎂🍧🍪🍨🍬🍭🍮🍯🍵🫖🍰🍭🧁🍫🥧

Sweet things for you (and the boysl) if you want some :)

Gelato: "I'll just be depriving you of this ice-cream..."

Prosciutto: "Pass the tea and chocolate. I could really use some caffeine right now."

[134340am]

anon from prohero kacchan here! i’m 100000000000000 x 10000000000000000000 so thankful for you. It was the perfect story and the perfect way to end my otherwise crappy day. Is everyone experiencing a crappy day simultaneously? The other blog i follow also mentioned the same, and to think its international women’s day 😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨. I’m dying from the constraints of employment but my heart is so excited for kacchan and nightcloud. What an honor to have your oc written as part of my request. Thats like adding more whipped cream to an already sweet triple chocolate ice cream! Why do i feel like its only nightcloud who is competing with bakugo and bakugo just think its adorable.

Thankies again for the answered request! May you have all the best desserts in the world🍨🍧🍦

kacchan anon!!! 😭😭😭 thank u so much for coming back n sending me this super sweet message i don't deserve u ヽ(*。>Д<)o゜

yea work was rough today (maybe it's just the monday/tuesday blues) but this cheered me up so so much :-( sobbles bobbles i hope the constraints of employment will b kinder to you for the rest of this week tho! 🤍

omg hehe i'm glad u caught on to nightcloud & katsuki's dynamic -- nightcloud was a lot more reserved when she was younger bc she didn't want to accidentally bring in a thunderstorm, but now she's learnt to be more expressive (esp. since she's better mastered her quirk now)! and bakugou bb is the opposite; i think when he's a pro-hero he'd be a lot calmer and it's cute hehe they defo see bits of themselves in the other person ( •̀ ω •́ )✧

thank YOU honeybun for requesting! i hope you have the best desserts in the world too n i'm feeding u some nice pistachio gelato in my mind rn

[queenvh-archive]

@VanessaHudgens: Is there such thing as too much gelato? 🍧🍨🍦