Alimentos SAS • Jul 21, 2021
Sorbetto, also called sorbet, is a fruity and sweet frozen treat made with sweetened juice or fruit puree, and sugar. It sometimes includes flavorings but usually, the natural flavor of the fruit is enough. Popular flavors include lemon, lime, mango, orange, peach, pineapple, strawberry, raspberry, and watermelon.
While there is plenty of history and myth around iced desserts, it is thought that it originated in ancient Persia. The word sorbet comes from the Arabic word sharbet, meaning ‘sweet snow’. People in the medieval Arabic world drank aromatic icy beverages called sherbet. These sherbets were flavored with cherries, pomegranates, quinces, rose water, and orange blossom.
This icy treat is churned, like ice cream, and has a similar texture. However, unlike traditional types of ice cream, it is always dairy and egg-free. It, therefore, has lower fat content than ice cream.
Although Sorbetto, Sherbet, and Granita all have the same base ingredients – fruit and sugar – there are distinctions that make them different from one other. Sorbetto is frozen fruit that has been sweetened and is then churned. This churning process gives it its creaminess. Sherbet incorporates some type of dairy component in the fruit and sugar mix. This is to thicken it and make it richer. It also often includes gelatin as a thickener. Granita is fruit and sugar which has been spread into a layer and frozen and is then scraped into a scoop. A scoop of Granita is much courser and icier.
It is made up of fruit puree and sweetener. Some, like lemon sorbetto, use fresh juice with sugar. To stop large ice crystals from forming, the fruit and sugar syrup are churned while the sorbet is freezing. The churning process is what makes it so creamy.
It’s important to use just the right amount of sweetener. Too little sweetener will make it icy and too much will make it mushy. It’s good to note that sorbettos made with sweeter fruit purees, like strawberry, need less sugar than those made with a tart juice like lemon or grapefruit.
The type of fruit puree that you use in this delicious treat affects it differently. Berries, stone fruit, and grapes, which are high in pectin, and bananas, mangoes, and pears, which are high in fiber, will make a creamier sorbetto. This is because these fruits are full of body and high in viscosity.
It’s possible to make this sweet dessert with liquid nitrogen in a similar way that you would make liquid nitrogen ice cream. You do need to take care when using this process.
These days there are so many exotic fruit purees available that the industry can experiment with all types of
Sorbetto flavors. It is a dairy-free, gluten-free treat, which is one hundred percent vegan and can be enjoyed by young and old. People enjoy eating it on the beach or as a palette cleanser in a top-end restaurant, whatever tickles their fancy.