A milk bottle showing cream risen to the top

Cream (from Greek chrisma, literally "an anointing") is a dairy product that is composed of the higher-butterfat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. Chrism (Greek word literally meaning "an anointing" also called "Myrrh" ( Myron) "Holy Oil" or "Consecrated Oil" is a Consecrated Dairy products are generally defined as Foodstuffs produced from Milk. Butterfat or milkfat is the Fatty portion of Milk. Milk and cream are often sold according to the amount of butterfat they contain Milk is an opaque white liquid produced by the Mammary glands of female Mammals (including Monotremes. Homogenization (or homogenisation) is a term used in many fields such as Chemistry, Agricultural science, Food technology, Sociology In un-homogenized 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". A centrifuge is a piece of equipment generally driven by a motor that puts an object in Rotation around a fixed axis, applying a force perpendicular to the axis 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. Cattle, colloquially referred to as cows, are domesticated Ungulates a member of the Subfamily Bovinae of the family Jersey cattle are a small honey-brown breed of Dairy cattle. Originally bred on the British Channel Island of Jersey, the breed is popular for the Pasture is land with Herbaceous vegetation cover used for grazing of Ungulate Livestock as part of a Farm or Ranch. Carotenoids are organic Pigments that are naturally occurring in Chromoplasts of plants and some other photosynthetic Organisms Plants are living Organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Cream is the Colour of the cream produced by Cattle grazing on natural Pasture with plants rich in Yellow Carotenoid pigments Cream from cows fed indoors, on grain or grain-based pellets, is white.

Types of cream

Chart of milk products and production relationships, including cream (Click for details)

In the United States, cream is usually sold as:

• Half and half (10. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Half and half refers to various beverages or liquid foods made of an equal-parts mixture of two substances including Dairy products Alcoholic beverages and 5–18% fat)
• Light, coffee, or table cream (18–30% fat)
• Medium cream (25% fat)
• Whipping or light whipping cream (30–36% fat)
• Heavy whipping cream (36% or more)
• Extra-heavy or manufacturer's cream (38–40% or more), generally not available at retail except at some warehouse stores.

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, Title 21, Part 131 [1][2] and a small sample of state regulations. The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR is the codification of the general and permanent rules and regulations (sometimes called administrative law) published in the

In the United Kingdom, the types of cream are legally defined^[1] as follows:

Other cream products

Butter is made by churning cream to separate apart the butterfat and whey. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Clotted cream is a thick yellow Cream made by heating Unpasteurized cow's Milk and then leaving it in shallow pans for several hours Cream with 30% or more fat can be turned into whipped cream by mixing it with air Butter is a Dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented Cream or Milk. Churning is the process of shaking up Whole milk (or cream) to make Butter, and various forms of Butter churn have been used for the purpose Butterfat or milkfat is the Fatty portion of Milk. Milk and cream are often sold according to the amount of butterfat they contain Whey or milk plasma is the liquid remaining after Milk has been Curdled and strained it is a By-product of the manufacture of Cheese This can be done by hand or by machine.

Whipped cream is made by whisking or mixing air into cream with more than 30% fat, to turn the liquid cream into a soft solid. Cream with 30% or more fat can be turned into whipped cream by mixing it with air A whisk is a Cooking utensil used in food preparation to blend Ingredients smooth or to incorporate air into a mixture in a process known as A mixer is a Kitchen Appliance intended for mixing Folding, beating and whipping food ingredients Temperature and layers The temperature of the Earth's atmosphere varies with altitude the mathematical relationship between temperature and altitude varies among five Nitrous oxide may also be used to make whipped cream. Nitrous oxide, commonly known as " laughing gas," is a Chemical compound with the Chemical formula N 2 O.

Sour cream, common in the U. Sour cream is a Dairy product rich in Fats obtained by fermenting a regular Cream by certain kinds of Lactic acid bacteria. S. , is cream (18% or more milk fat) that has been subjected to a bacterial culture that produces lactic acid (0. The Bacteria ( singular: bacterium) are a large group of unicellular Microorganisms Typically a few Micrometres in length bacteria have Lactic acid ( IUPAC Systematic name: 2-hydroxypropanoic acid) also known as milk acid, is a Chemical compound that plays a role 5%+), which sours and thickens it. Souring is a cooking technique that uses exposure to an Acid to effect a physical and chemical change in food Crème fraîche is a heavy cream (30-40% milk fat) slightly soured with bacterial culture, but not as sour or as thick as American sour cream. Crème fraîche (kʁɛm fʁɛʃ French for "fresh cream" of French origin is the continental European counterpart to the Soured cream Mexican crema (or cream espesa) is similar to crème fraîche. Kysana smetana is a Central and Eastern European sour cream. Smetana is a Russian loanword in English for a Dairy product, that is produced by Souring heavy cream

Clotted cream, common in the United Kingdom, is cream that has been slowly heated to dry and thicken it, producing a very high-fat (55%) product. Clotted cream is a thick yellow Cream made by heating Unpasteurized cow's Milk and then leaving it in shallow pans for several hours This is similar to Indian malai. For the Thai floral garlands see Phuang Malai. Malai can also refer to a mountain in the Tamil language, such as Annamalai Hill.

Cream as an ingredient

Cream is used as an ingredient in many foods, including ice cream, many sauces, soups, and some custard bases, and is also used for cakes. Ice cream or ice-cream (originally iced cream) is a frozen dessert made from Dairy products such as Milk and Cream, combined In Cooking, a sauce is Liquid or sometimes semi- Solid food served on or used in preparing other Foods Sauces are not consumed by themselves Soup is a Food that is made by combining ingredients such as Meat and Vegetables in stock or hot/boiling Water, until the flavor Custard is a range of preparations based on Milk and eggs thickened with heat Irish cream is an alcoholic liqueur which blends cream with whiskey and coffee. Irish Cream is a Cream liqueur based on Irish whiskey, Coffee, Cream, and other ingredients which can be served on its own or used in Mixed Cream is also used in curries such as masala dishes.

Cream (usually light cream/half-and-half/Single Cream) is often added to coffee. CoFFEE is an Open source Software for computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL in a digital classroom

For cooking purposes, both single and double cream can be used in cooking, although the former can separate when heated, usually if there is a high acid content. Most UK chefs always use double cream or full-fat crème fraîche when cream is added to a hot sauce, to prevent any problem with it separating or "splitting". In sweet and savoury custards such as those found in flan fillings, crème brûlées and crème caramels, both types of cream are called for in different recipes depending on how rich a result is called for. Custard is a range of preparations based on Milk and eggs thickened with heat It is useful to note that double cream can also be thinned down with water to make an approximation of single cream if necessary.

Other foods called "cream"

Some foods or even cosmetics may be labeled cream but not because they are made with cream, but because they make claim to the consistency or richness of cream. In some locations labeling restrictions prevent the use of the word cream to describe such products, so variations such as creme, kreme, creame, or whipped topping may be found.

See also: Cream (disambiguation)

Notes

References

• Larousse gastronomique

See also

• Cool Whip, a brand of imitation whipped cream. Larousse Gastronomique is an Encyclopedia of Gastronomy. The majority of the book is French cuisine with many French dishes cooking techniques Cool Whip is a brand of imitation Whipped cream called a " Whipped topping " by its manufacturer
• Kajmak, which is similar to clotted cream
• Sour cream
• Condensed milk
• Creamer
• Ice cream
• Malai
• Healing cream
• Whipped-cream charger, describes how nitrous oxide whips cream
• Whipped slotted cream

External links

• Cream 2004- Cream Cooking