A sorbet is a frozen treat that is very light and usually fruity in flavor. The fruity flavor comes from fruit juice or puree. In some cases, this cold dessert is also flavored with wine or some sort of liqueur. This dessert is typically served in scoops and is quite flavorful and light. Many claim to be non-fat or low fat. Those that contain wine or liqueur are usually softer in texture compared to others because the alcohol lowers the freezing temperature. In many recipes, they are water based and may be served iced and flavored with fruit or any other liquid or cream.
Differences
The difference between a sorbet and ice cream is the base of both. The former is based on water whereas the latter is based on dairy products and air. Both of which are not present in the water based dessert. This makes for a lighter and flavorful treat. This is one of the reasons why it is commonly served in just single scoops or small servings.
Sometimes these are also used to wash clean the palate in between courses. The presence of sugar in the dessert can also affect the consistency of the said frozen treat. The appearance of the said treat is also decidedly more iced than that of ice cream or even gelato. This is mainly due to the presence of water in the recipe.
Because ice cream is dairy based, it is more fattening compared to the water based sorbet. The flavoring of the treat can also affect just how fattening it may be. While some people flavor their recipe with fruit juices or purees, others use liquor to do so. In order to improve the ice texture of this dessert, it is whipped for a better consistency. Its base does not contain any form of dairy products as oppose to that of gelato or ice cream. It does have a smoother texture compared to another Italian refreshment called granite. This is because it is whipped to make the ice crystal smaller and less crunchy.
Advantages and Benefits
Eating the water based treat for dessert or as a refreshment can be beneficial for most people. The fact that the base of this treat is water, and not dairy, means that it has less fat than ice cream or gelato. People can eat a lot of it and not worry about the consequences, like gaining pounds or getting bad skin due to the diary. Another advantage of this kind of dessert is that it is usually more flavorful compared to others. This is mainly due to the fact that it contains no fat which can coat the tongue and mask the taste of the flavor. The mouth tastes the flavor immediately and the person can appreciate it. This is one reason why the sorbet is sometimes used to cleanse the palate, if it is based on citrus.
These are just some of the advantages of the sorbet over most dairy based desserts and cold treats.
