If your local custard shop or ice cream stand has become a regular hangout, or if the cashier there knows your regular order of an Oreo and peanut butter concrete, then maybe it’s time to get on a sorbet kick. It’s much healthier; sorbet is essentially a water ice with high fruit content. It is a fat-free treat and it’s dairy free so those who are lactose intolerant can enjoy sorbet as well.
The word “sorbet” is French and comes from the Italian “sorbetto” which comes from the Turkish word “sherbet”, which means “fresh drink”. Sorbet is thought to pre-date ice cream by at least one thousand years. One of the first mentions of sorbet in history is of Nero the Roman Emperor, who, during the first century A.D., 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. Then, at the end of the 13th century, Marco polo returned from the Far East with recipes of concoctions made from snow, juice and fruit pulp. It is also believed that the Italian, Catherine de’ Medici, after her marriage in 1533 to the Duke of Orleans (who later became Henry II), brought sorbetto to France. At first, sorbet was only enjoyed by the wealthy, but by the end of the 17th century, sorbet was all over Paris and had spread to England and all over Europe where it became popular among commoners.
Many people think of sorbet not as a refreshing dessert, but for its ability to cleanse the palate. Nineteenth-century French food icon Auguste Escoffier suggested that two savory main courses should be separated by a light, cool, flavorful taste sensation. In other words, a small dish of lemon sorbet, following an appetizer of escargot, will cleanse the palate of the strong garlic and allow the diner to enjoy the subtle flavors of a crab soufflé.
Sorbet flavors range from simple and ordinary, such as lemon or lime, to extraordinary, such as Bloody Mary sorbet, chocolate, ginger-cinnamon, Aquavit Pepper, truffle, and cucumber to name a few. Making sorbet at home is extremely easy using an electric ice cream maker or even just your freezer. There are endless recipes using an endless array of ingredients. Nothing is too outrageous. I’ve included some typical recipes and also some more distinctive recipes that will wake up your senses. So take a break from the custard and ice cream this summer and enjoy a refreshing sorbet.
This article appears in March 2024.