Cream

Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process is accelerated by using centrifuges called "separators". In many countries, it is sold in several grades depending on the total butterfat content. It can be dried to a powder for shipment to distant markets, and contains high levels of saturated fat.
Cream skimmed from milk may be called "sweet cream" to distinguish it from cream skimmed from whey, a by-product of cheese-making. Whey cream has a lower fat content and tastes more salty, tangy, and "cheesy". In many countries partially fermented cream is also sold as: sour cream, crème fraîche, and so on. Both forms have many culinary uses in both sweet and savoury dishes.
Cream produced by cattle grazing on natural pasture often contains some fat-soluble carotenoid pigments derived from the plants they eat; traces of these intensely coloured pigments concentrated during separation give cream a slightly yellow hue, hence the name of the yellow-tinged off-white colour cream. Carotenoids are also the origin of butter's yellow colour. Cream from goat's milk, water buffalo milk, or from cows fed indoors on grain or grain-based pellets, is white.

Cuisine

Cream is used as an ingredient in many foods, including ice cream, many sauces, soups, stews, puddings, and some custard bases, and is also used for cakes. Whipped cream is served as a topping on ice cream sundaes, milkshakes, lassi, eggnog, sweet pies, strawberries, blueberries, or peaches. Cream is also used in Indian curries such as masala dishes. Both single and double cream can be used in cooking. Double cream or full-fat crème fraîche is often used when the cream is added to a hot sauce, to prevent it separating or "splitting". Double cream can be thinned with milk to make an approximation of single cream.
Cream may be added to coffee.
The French word crème denotes not only dairy cream but also other thick liquids such as sweet and savory custards, which are normally made with milk, not cream.

Types

Different grades of cream are distinguished by their fat content, whether they have been heat-treated, whipped, and so on. In many jurisdictions, there are regulations for each type.

Australia and New Zealand

The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code – Standard 2.5.2 – Defines cream as a milk product comparatively rich in fat, in the form of an emulsion of fat-in-skim milk, which can be obtained by separation from milk. Cream sold without further specification must contain no less than 350 g/kg milk fat.
Manufacturers labels may distinguish between different fat contents, a general guideline is as follows:

Name	Fat content %	Main uses
Extra light	12–12.5
Light	18–20
Thickened cream	35–36.5	Cream with added gelatine and/or other thickeners to give the cream a thicker texture, also possibly with stabilisers to aid the consistency of whipped cream. Such cream would not typically be used for cooking.
Cream	>= 35	Recipes calling for cream are usually referring to pure cream with about 35% fat. This is used for cooking as well as for pouring and whipping. It is comparable to whipping cream in some other countries.
Double cream	48–60

Canada

Canadian cream definitions are similar to those used in the United States, except for "light cream", which is very low-fat cream, usually with 5 or 6 percent butterfat. Specific product characteristics are generally uniform throughout Canada, but names vary by both geographic and linguistic area and by manufacturer: "coffee cream" may be 10 or 18 percent cream and "half-and-half" may be 3, 5, 6 or 10 percent, all depending on location and brand.
Regulations allow cream to contain acidity regulators and stabilizers. For whipping cream, allowed additives include skim milk powder, glucose solids, calcium sulphate, and xanthan gum. The content of milk fat in canned cream must be displayed as a percentage followed by "milk fat", "B.F", or "M.F".

Name	Minimum milk fat %	Additional definition	Main uses
Manufacturing cream	40	Crème fraîche is also 40–45% but is an acidified cultured product rather than sweet cream.	Commercial production.
Whipping cream	33–36	Also as cooking or "thick" cream 35% with added stabilizers. Heavy cream must be at least 36%. In Francophone areas: crème à fouetter 35%; and for cooking, crème à cuisson 35%, crème à l'ancienne 35% or crème épaisse 35%.	Whips into a creamy and smooth topping that is used for pastries, fresh fruits, desserts, hot cocoa, etc. Cooking version is formulated to resist breaking when heated.
Table cream	15–18	Coffee cream. Also as cooking or "thick" cream 15% with added stabilizers. In Francophone areas: crème de table 15% or crème à café 18%; and for cooking, crème champêtre 15%, crème campagnarde 15% or crème épaisse 15%.	Added as rich whitener to coffee. Ideal for soups, sauces and veloutés. Garnishing fruit and desserts. Cooking version is formulated to resist breaking when heated.
Half and half	10	Cereal cream. Product with the most butterfat in the light cream category. In Francophone areas: crème à café 10% and sometimes crème légère 10%. Approximately equal to a 50/50 blend of table cream and whole milk, hence the common name in English.	Poured over hot cereal as a garnish. Ideal in sauces for vegetables, fish, meat, poultry, and pasta. Also in cream soups.
Light cream	3–10	Light cream 6%. In Francophone areas: mélange de lait et de crème pour café 5%, Crémette™ 5% or crème légère 3% to 10%. A mixture of milk and cream.	5% product is similar to the richest Guernsey or Jersey milk. A lower fat alternative to table cream in coffee.

France

In France, the use of the term "cream" for food products is defined by the decree 80-313 of April 23, 1980. It specifies the minimum rate of milk fat as well as the rules for pasteurisation or UHT sterilisation. The mention "crème fraîche" can only be used for pasteurised creams conditioned on production site within 24h after pasteurisation. Even if food additives complying with French and European laws are allowed, usually, none will be found in plain "crèmes" and "crèmes fraîches" apart from lactic ferments. Fat content is commonly shown as "XX% M.G.".

Russia

Russia, as well as other EAC countries, legally separates cream into two classes: normal and heavy, but the industry has pretty much standardized around the following types:

English	Russian	Transliteration	Milk fat
Low-fat or drinking cream	Нежирные сливки	Nezhirnÿe slivki	10%
Cream	Сливки	Slivki	15–20
Whipping cream	Сливки для взбивания	Slivki dlya vzbivaniya	33–35
Double cream	Двойные сливки	Dvoinÿe slivki	48

Sweden

In Sweden, cream is usually sold as:

Matlagningsgrädde, 10–15%
Kaffegrädde, 10–12%, earlier mostly 12%
Vispgrädde, 36–40%, the 36% variant often has additives.

Mellangrädde is, nowadays, a less common variant.
Gräddfil and Creme Fraiche are two common sour cream products.

Switzerland

In Switzerland, the types of cream are legally defined as follows:

English	German	French	Italian	Typical milk fat wt%	Minimum milk fat wt%
Double cream	Doppelrahm	double-crème	doppia panna	45	45
Full cream Whipping cream Cream	Vollrahm Schlagrahm Rahm/Sahne	crème entière crème à fouetter crème	panna intera panna da montare panna	35	35
Half cream	Halbrahm	demi-crème	mezza panna	25	15
Coffee cream	Kaffeerahm	crème à café	panna da caffè	15	15

Sour cream and crème fraîche are defined as cream soured by bacterial cultures.
Thick cream is defined as cream thickened using thickening agents.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, these types of cream are produced. Fat content must meet the Food Labelling Regulations 1996.

Name	Minimum milk fat	Additional definition	Main uses
Clotted cream	55	is clotted	Clotted cream is the thickest cream available and a traditional part of a cream tea and is spread onto scones like butter.
Extra-thick double cream	48	is heat-treated, then quickly cooled	Extra-thick double cream is the second thickest cream available. It is spooned onto pies, puddings, and desserts due to its heavy consistency.
Double cream	48		Double cream whips easily and produces heavy whipped cream for puddings and desserts.
Whipping cream	35		Whipping cream whips well and produces lighter whipped cream than double cream.
Whipped cream	35	has been whipped	Whipped cream is typically used for decorating cakes, as a topping on desserts, or as an accompaniment with fresh fruit.
Sterilized cream	23	is sterilized
Single cream	18	is not sterilized	Single cream is poured over puddings, used in sauces, and added to coffee.
Extra-thick single cream	18	not sterilized; homogenised for consistency like double cream
Sterilized half cream	12	is sterilized
Half cream	12		Uncommon. Used in some cocktails.