Sorbet is a fruity frozen dessert that was invented before ice cream but tastes like it (minus the dairy). It has a soft texture and is made from fruit juice or purée that is mixed with a sugar syrup and sometimes alchohol. Italian meringue may be added to sorbet to enhance its volume.

American sherbet is a close cousin of sorbet, though it contains a small amount of milk. Sorbet is actually a Frenchified word for sorbetto, its Italian name. The Italians learned about sorbetto from the Arabs, who'd learned about it from the Persians, who'd learned about it from the Chinese. The first sorbets were made from honey, aromatics, fruit and snow.

Sorbet is as sweet as ice cream but lighter. It's eaten as a snack or dessert and is sometimes still served at elaborate French meals as a palate cleanser between courses (with a bit of alcohol, replacing the shot that was once served between plates).