What's in a name?

Though they're all related by summertime cravings and the convenience of ordering them by the scoop or the cup, frozen treats vary considerably. In order to be called yogurt, hard or soft frozen yogurt must contain a minimum number of live and active cultures. Ice cream (above), which may be soft serve or hard-packed, comes in two varieties; a custard-style made with eggs is particularly rich and creamy; Philadelphia-style is made without eggs and is popular for making at home. According to Peggy Fallon's "Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts," gelato, traditional Italian ice cream, contains smaller amounts of butterfat than ice cream and less churned-in air, which makes it denser. Sorbet, made without dairy products, consists primarily of fruit, sugar, and water. Creamier than sorbet is sherbet, which contains fruit and some dairy products.