It’s high season for frozen treats! Truthfully, we’ll eat most of these no matter what name they go by, but is there really a difference between gelato and ice cream?

A scoop of your preferred frozen treat can never go wrong, whether you're enjoying an extravagant ice cream sundae, an apple pie in the form, or simply a sneaky taste of mint chocolate chip straight from the carton. But you're not alone if you've ever wondered what is the difference between gelato and ice cream while browsing the freezer section.

The fact that they are both cold, sweet, no-bake treats that taste excellent with a sprinkle of hot fudge makes gelato and ice cream appear to be comparable. However, as soon as you taste both of them, you'll realize that they are quite different from one another. The ingredients used to make ice cream and gelato are identical (a custard base that includes milk and sugar), but that's about all they have in common).

Each sweet treat has a unique background, method of preparation, and characteristics ranging from flavor to texture. One isn't always superior to the other. It all boils down to your particular preferences when deciding between gelato and ice cream. Here's a fun suggestion: set up a homemade ice cream bar with ice cream and gelato, then sample it! If you're anything like us, you'll cherish each equally as individuals. What distinguishes gelato from ice cream, then? Continue reading to learn more!

Compared to American ice cream, gelato is smoother, thicker, and richer. Ice cream is referred to as gelato in Italian. The history of frozen desserts in Italy goes back thousands of years, but the Renaissance saw the rise of gelato as we know it today. Gelato is produced with a custard base of milk, cream, and sugar, much like ice cream. When compared to ice cream, gelato has more milk (and less cream), which is the difference between the two.

Egg yolks are also typically absent from gelato, unlike ice cream. Gelato is created uniquely in addition to these various components and ratios. Dense is a common adjective used to characterize Italian gelato. This results from the fact that it is churned at a far slower rate than ice cream. After being churned, the gelato is kept in a slightly warmer, partially frozen state before being served.

Today, gelato is available in a wide range of flavors, and if you visit a gelateria (Italian for "gelato store"), you'll be astounded by the several heaping heaps of gelato hidden behind the display case. Looking for a reliable starting point? The traditional flavors, such as chocolate, hazelnut, pistachio, or Stracciatella, can never be wrong (a sweet cream flavor with chocolate chips mixed in).

The difference between gelato and ice cream are virtually cousins, although they differ from one another in very important ways. When ice cream first arrived in America in the 1700s, it quickly established itself as a staple of the country's desert culture and served as the foundation for dishes like ice cream floats, ice cream sandwiches, banana splits, and even ice cream cakes.

In general, ice cream is thought to be creamier and fluffier than gelato. Its custard base has greater fat (at least 10% fat compared to gelato's 5 to 7% fat) because egg yolks and more cream than milk are used. Ice cream is whipped at a high speed in an ice cream maker, which makes it less thick and airier than gelato. To top it off, ice cream is typically served cold, which lessens the flavor intensity while still making it a terrific choice for a hot summer day.

You can sample a wide variety of flavors, from classics like vanilla and coffee to more odd ones like sweet basil and sweet potato, by visiting any ice cream shop or looking inside the case at the grocery store. But the flavor spectrum for gelato is far more constrained.

There are some traditional flavors in gelatos, such as vanilla, chocolate, hazelnut, and stracciatella (vanilla with crunchy chocolate pieces), as well as pistachio, tiramisu, and a number of fruit tastes, although they are not always the same combinations as those you find in the ice cream section. The difference between gelato and ice cream is the chemical makeup and storage methods have an impact on how they taste and feel on your tongue.

Colder food slightly numbs the tongue, making it more challenging to taste the meal, and fat coats the tongue, producing a layer between the taste buds and the food you are eating. The flavors of gelato are more powerful and come through more because it is warmer and lower in fat than ice cream. While ice cream has more of a fine crystal texture, these characteristics also contribute to a smoother consistency.

Milk and cream are two of the primary components in both gelato and ice cream, but the proportions of each determine how each dish turns out. Gelato is created with a higher ratio of whole milk to cream than "ice cream," as the name suggests, which contains more milk than cream.

Eggs are another component that sets the two apart; ice cream contains egg yolks, whereas gelato is often devoid of eggs. These varying amounts and components have an impact on the mouthfeel and amount of fat in each dessert (the texture of the food in your mouth as you eat it). Gelato only has 5–7% fat, but ice cream legally must to have a minimum of 10% fat.

The two differ not just in their components but also in their methods of preparation. Gelato and ice cream both require churning to achieve their creamy, scoopable goodness, but the rate at which they are done so—and the amount of air that results—varies.

Since less air is whisked into the mixture when gelato is churned at a slower rate than ice cream, it has a thicker consistency. Gelato has a 25–30% air content, but ice cream can have a 50–% air content. The appropriate consistency is maintained by storing gelato and ice cream at specific temperatures after they have been created.

Ice cream is typically served frozen, around 0 F, whereas gelato is typically stored and served at a slightly warmer temperature, around 15 F. This means gelato is not quite completely frozen, making the texture softer and silkier than ice cream.

The Italian word for ice cream is gelato. It begins with a custard base similar to that of ice cream but with a larger percentage of milk and a lower percentage of cream and eggs (or no eggs at all). Gelato is churned at a considerably slower rate than ice cream, including less air and making the final product thicker. In order to maintain its silkier and softer texture, gelato is served at a slightly warmer temperature than ice cream. Compared to ice cream, it has a lesser amount of fat, allowing the primary flavoring to stand out.

Ice Cream: Fluffy and Full of Fat

A frozen dairy treat known as ice cream is produced with milk, cream, sugar, and usually egg yolks. Traditionally, French-style ice cream had egg yolks in it and was richer than the earlier eggless American-style ice cream. But modern American ice cream today also contains the yolks. Ice cream starts out as a thick custard made from the same ingredients.

The custard foundation is cooled, then churned to add air and enhance volume at a moderately high speed (cheaper ice creams tend to have more air whipped into them). Ice cream is smooth, creamy, and has a light feel when it is completed. It is typically served at a temperature that makes scoops hold together.

There’s no denying that both gelato and ice cream are sweet indulgences. Neither is going to help you lose weight. While ice cream usually has more calories and fat, both desserts contain sugar. Let's face it: We're not eating either for their healthy qualities.

So, which should you choose?

This is totally up to you! What the difference between gelato and ice cream is a personal preference. If you prefer something colder and creamier, go for ice cream. If you want to try something rich and silky, try gelato. You can’t go wrong either way!

Also read: 5 Homemade ice-cream recipes to tantalize your taste buds