This article is about cream, the food item. There is another article on the rock band Cream.
In the U.S., it is usually sold as:
In the UK, it is usually sold as:
Crème fraîche (a French product, available in some markets elsewhere) 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.
Cream with more than 30% 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. If the whipping is continued, the fat droplets stick together and form butter; the remaining liquid is buttermilk.
Ice cream is made with milk and cream and flavorings, frozen while stirring to limit the size of the ice crystals. Premium ice creams usually contain more milk fat.
The term cream or creme is used in food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics to refer to a variety of substances of a consistency similar to or thicker than that of cream, such as chocolate cream or moisturizing cream.