Gelato, soft serve and cream ice cream: what’s the difference

Scooped, soft serve, cream, milk or sorbet — what the names mean in Slovakia and Czechia, and how they differ in production, serving temperature and composition.

Scooped, soft serve, Italian, cream, milk, fruit, sorbet – in Slovak and Czech ice cream shops you’ll come across a host of names. Some are precisely defined by law, others are just customary names. This overview explains what they mean and how the different types differ.

What the law says: “frozen cream”

Both the Slovak Decree No. 82/2018 Z. z. and the Czech Decree No. 397/2016 Sb. use the official term mrazený krém (in Czech mražený krém, literally “frozen cream”). The word zmrzlina (“ice cream”) is colloquial. Under both decrees it may be used as a name for packaged frozen cream.

The decrees divide frozen creams into groups according to what they contain. The type and amount of fat is what matters most:

GroupSK 82/2018 (minimum)CZ 397/2016 (minimum)
Cream8 % milk fat8 % milk fat
Milk2.5 % milk fat, 6 % milk solids non-fat (MSNF)2.5 % milk fat, 6 % milk solids non-fat
With vegetable fat5 % vegetable fat5 % vegetable fat
Water iceno added fat12 % total solids, no added fat
Fruit15 % fruit component15 % fruit, 12 % total solids
Sorbet25 % fruit component25 % fruit, 12 % total solids

For sour and exotic fruit (citrus, for example), the Slovak decree allows less fruit in a fruit frozen cream – 10 %. A frozen cream with alcohol may contain no more than 3 % alcohol, and the alcohol must be stated in the name.

Did you know?

Under the decrees in both Slovakia and Czechia, “cream” means at least 8 % milk fat. Ice cream made with vegetable fat must not be called cream ice cream.

The decrees know neither the word gelato nor Italian ice cream. Gelato is simply Italian for “ice cream”. Legally, Italian-style ice cream is mostly a milk or cream frozen cream, or a sorbet.

Soft serve

Soft serve (točená zmrzlina, “spun ice cream”) is dispensed straight from the freezing machine into a cone. According to the textbook by H. D. Goff (University of Guelph), ice cream leaves the machine when roughly half of its water is frozen. Soft serve is served in exactly this state, which is why it is soft, less cold and melts quickly.

Typical features:

  • the machine freezes the mix and whips air into it at the same time, so the ice cream is light and fluffy,
  • there are few flavours, often vanilla, chocolate and a swirl of the two,
  • the mix sits in the machine all day.

The last point is soft serve’s weak spot. In 2025 the Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority (SZPI) warned that a typical mistake is pouring leftover mix back into the machine for the next day instead of discarding it and cleaning the machine.

In Czechia

In inspections up to 1 September 2025, SZPI rejected 46 % of the samples of soft serve and scooped ice cream it took; in 2024 the figure was 52 %. Most often the problem was excessive Enterobacteriaceae bacteria, a sign of poor hygiene. Samples are taken selectively in high-risk outlets, so the figure doesn’t describe the whole market.

Scooped ice cream and gelato

Scooped ice cream is made in a batch freezer, one batch at a time, usually in 10–15 minutes (Goff). It is then hardened in tubs and displayed in the case, where it is served with a scoop.

Compared with soft serve it is colder and firmer. Serving temperatures vary by type. According to the specialist website Ice Cream Calculator, the approximate serving temperatures are:

TypeApproximate serving temperature
Gelato (Italian style)−12 to −14 °C
Cream ice cream (American style)−14 to −16 °C
Soft servewarmer, straight from the machine

So gelato is served warmer than classic cream ice cream. The flavour comes through better at a higher temperature, and the ice cream is soft even though it is denser.

Gelato vs. cream ice cream

It is often said that Italian gelato has less fat and less air than American-style cream ice cream. As a general rule this holds, but there is no exact boundary – it depends on each shop’s recipe. You can picture the differences like this:

GelatoCream ice cream
Basemore milk, less creammore cream, often egg yolks
Airless, dense texturemore, fluffier
Servingwarmer, softercolder, firmer
Flavourthe main ingredient stands out morefuller, creamier

Sorbet, fruit ice cream and water ice

Sorbet is made from fruit, sugar and water, without milk. Under both decrees it must contain at least 25 % fruit component. A fruit frozen cream contains less fruit (at least 15 %) and may also contain other ingredients. A water ice frozen cream is, for example, a classic ice lolly – with no added fat.

Tip

If you’re looking for ice cream without milk, ask for sorbet. Fruit ice cream may contain milk.

Quick overview

  • Cream – at least 8 % milk fat, full and creamy.
  • Milk – at least 2.5 % milk fat, lighter.
  • With vegetable fat – a cheaper substitute for milk fat, or vegan ice cream.
  • Gelato – Italian style, dense, served warmer, not defined by law.
  • Soft serve – soft, straight from the machine, sensitive to hygiene.
  • Sorbet – no milk, at least 25 % fruit.

Warning

Under the Slovak decree, frozen cream that has thawed and been refrozen must not be sold. SZPI advises against buying ice cream that is misshapen or has frost on it – this applies to all types.

Sources

More articles