Copied By: LEHEY_GREG @ESSG (Greg Lehey)
   SENT: 91-06-27  22:59
   FROM: LEHEY_GREG (Greg Lehey)
     TO: NEWTON_ALICE @NJ
     CC. DL.COSIG @ESSG
SUBJECT: COSIG:  ??What is Creme Fraiche?? -- n/t
In Reply to: 91-06-27  15:57  FROM NEWTON_ALICE @NJ
         COSIG:  ??What is Creme Fraiche?? -- n/t

Well, Alice, the simple answer is: it's French for sour cream.

Except that we use both sour cream (well, here in Germany it's called
saure Sahne) and creme fraiche. So I looked it up in my clever book
which interprets the standard EC (European Community) foodstuff
terminology.

First, to get the spelling right: French is full of accents, and the
                                                     `      ^
best I can do here is put them on the line above:  creme fraiche.

Now to the book: it's called "Gut eingekauft - ein Wegweiser durch die
Welt der Lebensmittel" (well purchased - a guide to the world of
foodstuffs), and was published a few years back by the Rewe-Verlag
GmbH, Koeln. If you speak German and ever see this book, I warmly
recommend it. It gives accurate, understandable descriptions of what
is written on foodstuff packaging in the EC.

Enough lectures, here's what they say (after my translation):

Sour cream is fresh cream that has been treated with lactic acid
bacteria. Cream that has gone sour by being kept too long cannot be
sold as sour cream.  There are various fat levels varying between 10
and 30% [these are the EC rules, of course; conceivably elsewhere the
values could vary --Greg]. If you use the sour cream to refine a
sauce, choose a higher fat level or add a bit of flour to the cream.
This helps inhibit curdling.

Creme fraiche used to be imported from France as a gourmet ingredient,
but is now manufactured in Germany. The name "fresh cream" confuses
some consumers, since creme fraiche is sour cream, made by a special
process: fresh cream is treated with a low dosage of lactic acid
bacteria and then warmed over a water bath until the fat content
reaches 30 to 40%. This process yields a very delicate, almost
sweetish acid flavour and also the property of not curdling even in
very hot dishes.  Creme fraiche is available pure or with various
additives such as herbs, garlic or tomatoes [ugh!! --Greg].

Hope this helps
Greg

------------------------ ORIGINAL  ATTACHMENT ------------------------
   SENT: 91-06-27  15:57
   FROM: NEWTON_ALICE @NJ
     TO: DL.COSIG @ESSG
SUBJECT: COSIG:  ??What is Creme Fraiche?? -- n/t
Copied By: LEHEY_GREG @ESSG (Greg Lehey)
   SENT: 91-06-28  09:24
   FROM: ELSTON_PEARL @THAMES
     TO: LEHEY_GREG @ESSG (GREG LEHEY)
     CC. DL.COSIG @ESSG
SUBJECT: COSIG:  ??What is Creme Fraiche?? -- n/t
In Reply to: 91-06-27  22:59  FROM LEHEY_GREG (Greg Lehey)
         COSIG:  ??What is Creme Fraiche?? -- n/t

Wow Greg,

I thought it was just very fresh cream.....Thanks.  One can learn
something new everyday!
Cheers (Bon appetite)
Pearl
Copied By: LEHEY_GREG @ESSG (Greg Lehey)
   SENT: 91-07-01  12:32
   FROM: OSULLIVAN_DEBORAH @UK
     TO: ELSTON_PEARL @THAMES
     CC. DL.COSIG @ESSG
SUBJECT: COSIG:  ??What is Creme Fraiche?? -- n/t
In Reply to: 91-06-28  09:24  FROM ELSTON_PEARL @THAMES
         COSIG:  ??What is Creme Fraiche?? -- n/t

Pearl,
The sour cream in the UK is slightly different to the French Creme Fraiche.
The closest you can come to the real thing is mixing 1/2 sour and 1/2 double
cream.

Deborah