Cream!

Cream is a dairy product that is composed of the higher-butterfat layer skimmed from the top of raw milk before homogenization. In the raw milk, over time, the lighter fat rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream this process is accelerated by using centrifuges called "separators". In many countries, cream is sold in several grades depending on total butterfat content. Cream can be dried to a powder for shipment to distant markets.

Cream produced by cows (particularly Jersey cattle) grazing on natural pasture often contains some natural carotenoid pigments derived from the plants they eat; this gives the cream a slight yellow tone, hence the name of the yellowish-white colour cream. Cream from cows fed indoors, on grain or grain-based pellets, is white.

Types of cream

In the United States, cream is usually sold as:

Half and half (10.5'18% fat)
Light, coffee, or table cream (18'30% fat)
Medium cream (25% fat)
Whipping or light whipping cream (30'36% fat)
Heavy or heavy whipping cream (36% or more)
Extra-heavy or manufacturer's cream (38'40% or more), generally not available at retail.

Not all grades are defined by all jurisdictions, and the exact fat content ranges vary. The above figures are based on the Code of Federal Regulations, and a small sample of state regulations.

In the United Kingdom

Cream is usually sold as:
Half cream (12%)
Single cream or light cream (18%)
Whipping cream (35%)
Double cream (48%)

Other cream products

Sour cream in the U.S. is cream (18% or more milk fat) that has been subjected to a bacterial culture that produces lactic acid (0.5%+), which sours and thickens it.

Cr'me fra'che is a heavy cream slightly soured with bacterial culture, but not as sour or as thick as American sour cream. Mexican crema (or cream espesa) is similar to cr'me fra'che. Smetana is a Central and Eastern European sour cream.

In the UK, clotted cream (similar to Indian malai) is a very high-fat (55%) product processed with heat.

Butter is made by churning cream.

Whipped cream

Cream with 30% or more of fat can be turned into whipped cream by mixing it with air. This roughly doubles the cream's volume as air bubbles are captured in a network of fat droplets. (Whipped cream is said to have been invented in 1671 by Fran'ois Vatel for a banquet in honour of Louis XIV, though it is likely that it was actually known long before this.) If the whipping is continued, the fat droplets stick together and form butter; the remaining liquid is buttermilk.

Chantilly cream (French: cr'me Chantilly) is whipped cream with sugar and vanilla.

Cream as an ingredient

Cream is used as an ingredient in many foods, including ice cream, many sauces, soups, and some custard bases, and also uses for cakes.

In the United States of America, cream (usually light cream or half-and-half) is often added to coffee.