What is behind the different types of ice cream?

Milk ice cream, fruit ice cream or both? What is the right name for an ice cream?

There is many different kinds of ice creamlike milk ice cream, sorbet, or soft serve. In the following I would like to give you a little insight, so that you can enjoy Confusion of terms keeps the overview. There are also differences between the individual countries. In this article I refer to the Definition in Germany and the guidelines published by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture "Ice Cream Guidelines." (as at 29.11.2016).

If you want to know exactly, you can of course read the 10-page PDF document yourself. But I think my contribution is clearer. Furthermore it is about ice cream marketed. That means the document refers to ice cream that is sold.

With homemade ice cream, we naturally have all the freedom we could wish for and what we call it doesn't really matter. But if you want to Packages in the supermarket or in the Ice cream parlor the names of the ice cream varieties should be read in accordance with the guidelines set out in the Rules named be.

The two main distinguishing features are the Basic ingredients and the Preparation method. Let's start with the breakdown by basic ingredient. Here we differentiate between a base on milk or fruit or non-dairy ingredient.

Milk-based ice cream varieties

Milk ice cream	has a Milk content of at least 70%is modified with various additives and is the most common variety
Ice cream	is made from cream, contains at least 18% Milk fat content and is therefore particularly creamy
Cream ice cream	contains at least 50% Milk and a significant proportion Egg (90 g egg yolk or 270 g whole egg per litre of milk), no water is used
Ice cream	contains at least 10% Milk fat and is mostly industrially produced
Yoghurt ice cream (frozen yogurt)	consists of more than 35% Yoghurt and therefore has a slightly acidic note

Ice cream on another basis (e.g. fruit)

Lime juice can serve as a basic ingredient and is mostly used for sorbets

Fruit ice cream	has at least 20% Fruit contentfor citrus fruits or other acidic fruits (e.g. passion fruit) the percentage can be reduced to 10%
Sorbet (Sorbetto, Sorbeto)	contains at least 25% Fruit contentfor citrus fruit, not less than 15%; for vegetables, the percentage can be reduced from 25% to 10% for certain types of vegetables (e.g. very intensive); there are also other varieties, whereby the main ingredient, the sorbet, gives the name to the sorbet (e.g. champagne sorbet); it may Protein may be added; however no milk or cream be present
Nut ice cream	contains at least 5% Nuts/Cores
Fruit ice cream	is a mixture of fruit and milk ice cream; however, the main ingredient is fruit and there must be a distinct fruit flavour be identifiable; furthermore it shall contain at least 8 % Milk fat

Combinations of designations

To make things a bit more complicated, there can of course be combinations of these names. For example Raspberry ice cream have a minimum fruit content of 20% according to the specifications of fruit ice cream. A Raspberry cream ice cream in addition, at least 18% milk fat content to be considered as cream ice cream. A Raspberry yoghurt ice cream must contain at least 35% yoghurt in addition to the fruit content. I think you have understood the principle

However, according to the definition, what cannot exist is a raspberry sorbet cream, as sorbet must not contain milk.

Ice creams with special production

Soft ice cream

This is a 20th century invention and an ice cream with a very soft consistency. Many people appreciate this creaminess, which is mainly due to the high air supply arises. This is achieved by placing the ice in a special Soft ice cream machine is tapped into the wafer via a device and air is added. The typical swirl shape results from the nozzle.

The following flavours are particularly common Vanilla and chocolate. But there are now stands that offer many different varieties - including fruit varieties.

Parfait

The word comes from the French and means "perfect". Parfaits consist mainly of Egg yolk with sugar and cream. The proportion of cream is very large, which gives it a mousse-like consistency. The ice cream mass is frozen without stirring. The resulting fine crystalline structure is characteristic and so desired. You can use different Layers by freezing them one by one.

Granite or granita

It is similar to a Sorbet with larger ice crystals and therefore coarser. As a rule, it consists of Sugar, fruit and liquid. The mixture is placed in the freezer and stirred regularly with a fork. Only one fork is deliberately used here to create large ice crystals.

Other types of ice cream

Water ice

Consists, as the name suggests, mainly of Water. In addition Zochre and various flavoursand, where appropriate, also dyes. Popsicles are very often water ice. It is usually produced industrially, but can also be produced very easily by yourself.

Sherbet

This type of ice cream is rather unknown in German-speaking countries. It is a Sorbet versionwho also Milk contains. This creates a lighter alternative to conventional milk ice cream and a creamier version to the widespread sorbet.

A final word of advice

You should always be careful when "flavored ice cream." reads, for example Strawberry flavoured milk ice cream. You can probably already imagine that the taste here is mainly due to the addition of Flavours is achieved. Such an ice cream can, but does not have to contain any fruit components. Personally, I wouldn't touch that kind of ice cream.

I hope you will now find your way around the naming jungle of ice cream varieties more easily in the future.