This Is Exactly How Sherbet Differs From Ice Cream

When it comes to frozen desert treats, we are lucky to have a wide variety of choices which we can enjoy in a bowl, a waffle cone, or on a wooden stick. In fact, such variety can sometimes lead to confusion. For instance, most everyone can tell the difference between sorbet and ice cream, or even the difference between ice cream and gelato, but not everyone knows how ice cream compares to sherbet. In a side-by-side taste test, it will be easy to tell they differ in texture – ice cream will be creamier and denser, while sherbet is lighter and fluffier. The reason? Although both include dairy among their ingredients, the amount in each varies. 

While ice cream must contain at least 10% milk fat, sherbet must contain exactly between 1% and 2% butterfat according to federal U.S. regulation, which makes it remarkably lighter than ice cream but creamier than a sorbet. Sherbet may also contain egg whites or gelatin, adding to its different texture.

Although the name sherbet is closer to sorbet, they are also two different treats, as sorbet does not contain any dairy at all. Think of it this way: if sorbet and ice cream had a baby, it would be sherbet. And despite the spelling, the word is actually pronounced sherbut. It is less commonly spelled sherbert with an extra r, in which case it's pronounced SHER-bert according to Merriam-Webster.

Both sherbet and sorbet stem from the Arabic word sharab, a drink made from fruit or vegetable juice sweetened with sugar or honey, which the Moors introduced to Europe about 1,000 years ago. These drinks were served cold, but picky Persian kings preferred theirs chilled with snow. Later, people started using the word sharab in reference to a boozy drink, so a different Arabic word, sharbat, became the name of the nonalcoholic drink. Incidentally, the word sharbat also gave us the English word syrup, the French sirop, and the Spanish jarabe.

Sharbat became sorbet in French, and in the 1800s, sorbet evolved into the frozen treat we know and love today. Adding to the confusion, sherbet in England is the name of a fruity flavored powder that effervesces when added to water, a product closer to the original ancient drink. 

If you want to try your hand at making sherbet at home, there are simple, easy recipes such as this two-ingredient watermelon sherbet to get you started. And yes, if the word conjures a store-bought, rainbow colored frozen treat instead, by all means go for it.