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Whether you’re fascinated by the spiralling ice cream falling from a machine or have an attendant serve a scoop in a cone, frozen desserts are always going to be in favour for their texture and the cold sensation it offers. While the idea of ice cream might be similar to us where we identify most frozen desserts to be some particular type, the variation in each one comes with their set of nuances that one might overlook in the process of enjoying it. Based on the way a specific type of ice cream is made, the composition and texture of the final product varies considerably – a classic example being one of gelato and soft serve. Here’s how you can tell the difference between the two delicious treats.
Gelato
A delicious Italian frozen dessert that is similar to ice cream, gelato is known for its rich, creamy texture and intense flavours. Primarily made with milk rather than cream, that gives it a lower fat content compared to ice cream, gelato has less air incorporated during the churning process compared to ice cream, making it denser and creamier. Unlike ice cream, which requires the custard base to be chilled before churning, a gelato mixture is cooled down before it is churned, as a crucial to avoid ice crystal formation and to ensure a smooth texture. Unlike ice cream, gelato is also stored and served at a slightly warmer temperature, allowing its flavours to be more pronounced and its texture to remain silken. Gelato typically uses natural ingredients, fewer egg yolks and less cream than ice cream. Due to the lower churn rate and lower air content, gelato tends to be smoother and silkier than soft serve ice cream.
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Soft Serve
Known for its smooth, creamy texture and a slightly lighter consistency than regular ice cream, soft serve is dispensed from a machine in a swirled form, often served in cones or cups. Once the ingredients for a batch of soft serve are mixed together thoroughly, it is then chilled to a specific temperature before being fed into the soft serve machine, where it is simultaneously frozen and whipped with air – giving it a light and airy texture. Once the mixture reaches the right consistency, the ice cream is dispensed directly into cones or cups through a nozzle, creating the iconic swirl shape. Unlike gelato that is rested for a few minutes before it is ready to eat, soft serve is meant to be eaten immediately after being dispensed from the machine at a colder temperature, in order to maintain its fluffy consistency.
