Nitrous oxide is the gas commonly used to whip cream and create an aerated texture.
In a whipped-cream dispenser, pressurized nitrous oxide dissolves partly into the cream. When the mixture leaves the dispenser, the pressure falls and the gas expands into many small bubbles, producing a light foam. Its relatively mild flavor makes it suitable for culinary use.
Nitrous oxide can also appear in frozen-dessert production and modern culinary foams, although ordinary churned ice cream gets most of its incorporated air from mechanical agitation. Air content affects texture: too little can make a product dense, while too much can make it seem fluffy and less rich.
Nitrous oxide is sometimes called laughing gas because it has medical and recreational associations, but culinary chargers are intended for food preparation. It should not be confused with carbon dioxide, which is used to carbonate drinks and can produce a sharp, acidic sensation.