On Food and Cooking

sorbetto from the Arabic sharab, or “syrup”).
Its flavor is essentially that of the fruit
(sometimes an herb, spice, flower, coffee, or
tea), usually heightened with added sugar and
acid (to 25–35% and 0.5% respectively), and
with an overall sugar-acid ratio similar to that
of the melons (30–60:1; see p. 382). The puree
or juice is often diluted with some water as
well, sometimes to reduce the acidity (lemon
and lime juices), sometimes to stretch an
ingredient in short supply, and sometimes to
improve the flavor, which is interestingly
affected by the very cold serving temperature:
for example, undiluted melon can taste too
much like its close relative the cucumber, and
thinned pear puree tastes less like frozen fruit,
more delicate and perfumed. In the United
States, “sherbet” is the term applied to fruit
ices with milk solids included (3–5%) to fill
out the flavor and help soften the texture.
Though traditional ices are made with
fruits, vegetable ices can be refreshing too, as