Gelato vs Ice Cream: What's the Difference?

Fat: only ice cream has a legal number

In the United States, ice cream is defined in federal regulation 21 CFR 135.110. It must contain at least 10 percent milkfat, at least 1.6 pounds of total solids per gallon, and weigh at least 4.5 pounds per gallon.

Gelato has no federal standard of identity at all, the International Dairy Foods Association noted in 2013, so its makeup varies by maker. Gelato maker Morgan Morano told NPR in 2015 that authentic gelato runs about 4 to 9 percent fat, while most American ice cream runs 14 to 25 percent.

You can see the gap in our own recipes. Our fior di latte gelato uses three cups of whole milk to one cup of cream, which works out to roughly 9 percent fat by weight using USDA FoodData Central values. Our Philadelphia-style vanilla flips the ratio, two cups of cream to one of milk, for roughly 20 percent.

Air: a slower churn and a denser scoop

Air whipped in during freezing is called overrun. The 4.5-pound weight rule limits how much air US ice cream can hold, Consumer Reports explains, yet NPR reported that American ice cream can still be up to 50 percent air.

Gelato needs only about 20 to 30 percent, according to Morano, partly because gelato machines churn more slowly than ice cream makers. Less air means a heavier, silkier scoop, which is why gelato is traditionally served with a flat spade rather than a round scoop.

Served warmer, so it tastes stronger

NPR put the serving temperature of authentic gelato at 7 to 12°F, about 10 to 15 degrees warmer than ice cream. Eataly gives a similar picture: gelato held around 10°F, ice cream at 0°F or below.

Warmth and low fat work together. Luciano Ferrari of the Carpigiani Gelato University in Bologna told Consumerist that lower fat and less air put more flavor in each spoonful, and that a warmer serving temperature keeps the taste buds more sensitive. Morano added that gelato is best fresh and that her recipes are meant to be eaten within 24 hours.

Eggs, custard and where gelato came from

Authentic gelato rarely uses egg yolks, NPR reported, and when it does they are mostly there for flavor. Fior di latte has none; ours is thickened with a spoonful of cornstarch instead.

Eggs push American ice cream the other way. Under the same federal rule, ice cream with at least 1.4 percent egg yolk solids must be called frozen custard or French ice cream. Our French crème glacée uses six yolks in a cooked custard.

Who made gelato first is murky. Florence and Sicily both claim it (Eataly adds Bologna to the list), and no single inventor is settled. Pick your side in our gelato vs ice cream matchup, or browse every style in the ice cream hub.

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