Why It's Beneficial to Substitute Traditional Ice Cream Desserts with Lighter Sorbets

The concept of ice cream originated in China, where snow was combined with fruits around 5,000 years ago. Marco Polo introduced the recipe to Europe, and the world's first ice cream parlor, Cafe Procope, was founded in France in 1660. Ice cream arrived in Poland in the 18th century. Ice cream is a frozen dessert made up of fruits, condensed milk, cream, chicken eggs, sugar, and various types of food additives such as colorants, emulsifiers, stabilizers, or flavor and aroma enhancers. The preparation involves aeration and freezing of a previously prepared mixture. There is a wide range of ice cream flavors on the market, including coffee, cappuccino, toffee, dried fruits, and nuts. Depending on the ingredients, one can distinguish between milk-based ice cream, which contains protein and fat from cow's milk, milk-based ice cream with additional vegetable fat, sorbets, and water ice. Milk-based ice cream is prepared by aeration and freezing of a previously emulsified and pasteurized mixture of cream, milk, eggs, sugar, and optional food additives. Dried fruits or nuts are often added. Sorbets are a type of ice cream dessert that do not contain any fat or cow's milk protein. They consist of 60% water, making them refreshing, especially on hot days. The main ingredients used in their production are water, fresh or frozen fruits, juices or fruit purees, sugar, and optional additives such as citric acid, colorants, stabilizers, and emulsifiers. Alcoholic beverages such as vodka, wine, or liqueur are often added during the production of sorbets. Alcohol lowers the freezing point and improves the sensory quality of the ice cream. To achieve the right consistency, gelatin is often added. The best fruits for making sorbets are strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, apricots, and kiwi.