sorbet

Raspberry sorbet

Strawberry sorbet

Sorbet (pronounced /sɔrˈbeɪ/ sor-bay) is a frozen dessert made from sweetened water flavored with iced fruit (typically juice or puree), chocolate, wine, and/or liqueur. The origin of sorbet is variously explained as either a Roman invention, or a Middle Eastern drink charbet, made of sweetened fruit juice and water. The term sherbet or charbet is derived from Turkish: şerbat/şerbet, "sorbet", from the Persian sharbat, which in turn comes from the Arabic شربات sharbāt meaning "drink(s)" or "juice." ^[1] Sorbet is sometimes served between courses as a way to cleanse the palate before the main course.

Classification and description

Sorbet is often confused with Italian ice or water ice, and it is sometimes but not always taken to be synonymous with sherbet.

The word "Sorbet" (pronounced /sɔrˈbeɪ/, /ˈsɔrbɨt/, or /sɔrˈbɛt/) is French (French pronunciation: [sɔʀˈbɛ]) for the Persian word "Sherbet".^[2] Sorbets/sherbets may also contain alcohol, which lowers the freezing temperature, resulting in a softer texture. In North America, sherbet is often misspelled sherbert. In the UK, sherbet refers to a fizzy powder, and only the term sorbet would be used.

Whereas ice cream is based on dairy products with air copiously whipped in, sorbet has neither, which makes for a dense and extremely flavourful product. Both sorbet and frozen yogurt are served as non-fat or low-fat (sometimes 3% fat) alternatives to ice cream.

In Italy a virtually identical dish called granita is made, which is only really different from sorbet in that it has a crunchier texture because of the freezing process. As the liquid freezes, it forms noticeably large-size crystals, which should not be present in sorbet because of the stirring. Granita is also often sharded with a fork to give an even crunchier texture when served.

Agraz is a type of sorbet, usually associated with the Maghreb and north Africa. It is made from almonds, verjuice, and sugar. It has a strongly acidic flavour, because of the verjuice. (Larousse Gastronomique)

American terminology

In US American usage, sorbet and sherbet are distinctly different products. For Americans, sherbet (alternatively spelled sherbert^[3]) is the more widely-known term and typically designates a fruity flavored frozen dairy product with a milkfat content less than 3%. Sorbet, on the other hand, is considered by Americans to be a fruity frozen product with little to no dairy content, similar to Italian ice.

The United States Food and Drug Administration does not have a classification for sorbet because it considers it a synonym for sherbet. Sherbet in the United States must also include dairy ingredients such as milk or cream to reach a milkfat content between 1% and 2%. Products with higher milkfat content are defined as ice cream; products with lower milkfat content are defined as water ice.^[4] The use of the term "sorbet" is unregulated and is most commonly used with non-dairy, fruit juice "water ice" products.^[5] Although the American legal definitions indicate that the terms "sorbet" and sherbet are interchangeable, actual usage by Americans and the manufacturers of these products bear a clear distinction. A similar situation occurs in the legal definitions by differing international state governments on what is considered beer.

Early history and folklore

Folklore holds that Nero, the Roman Emperor, invented sorbet during the first century A.D. when he had runners along the Appian way pass buckets of snow hand over hand from the mountains to his banquet hall where it was then mixed with honey and wine. The Chinese have made concoctions from snow, juice, and fruit pulp for several thousand years.

One account says that Marco Polo brought a recipe for a sorbet-like dessert on his way back to Italy from China in the late 13th Century, as written in an account of his journey, The Travels of Marco Polo. Frozen desserts are believed to have been brought to France in 1533 by Catherine de' Medici when she left Italy to marry the Duke of Orleans, who later became Henry II of France. By the end of the 17th century, sorbet was served in the streets of Paris, and spread to England and the rest of Europe.

English/French labeling

On sherbet packages which have both English and French labels, sherbet is translated to sorbet laitier which directly translates into English as dairy sorbet, differentiating the milk containing sherbet from milk-less sorbet.

Popular flavours

Popular flavours of sorbet include Blue Raspberry, Blood Orange, Cherry, Chocolate, Coconut, Key Lime, Lemon, Lychee, Mango, Mint, Orange, Peach, Pineapple, Raspberry, Rose, Strawberry, Vanilla, Watermelon, Wine, and several mixed flavours^{[citation needed]}.

See also

• Italian ice
• Popsicle (Ice Pop)
• Snow cone
• Granita
• Gelato
• Faloodeh
• Kakigori
• Patbingsu
• Halo halo
• Kulfi
• Water ice
• Slush (beverage)

References

• Agraz in Larousse Gastronomique, US edition. ISBN 0517570327