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Crème fraîche (IPA: [kʁɛm fʁɛʃ], French for "fresh cream") of French origin, is the continental European counterpart to the soured cream more traditional to Western Europe and Anglophone cultures.

It is a soured cream, contains about 28% milk fat, slightly soured with bacterial culture, but less sour and thicker than sour cream. Originally a French product, today it is available throughout the rest of the world. Creme fraiche is produced by a process similar to that of sour cream, with the exception that no ingredients are added. Each processing step requires attention to producing and maintaining high viscosity. Commercially it is commonly fermented to an end pH around 4.5. However, the higher fat content and small scale processing contribute to a retail price in U.S. which is at least twice as expensive as traditional sour cream. Nevertheless, sales are growing. Its increasing popularity is an indication of changing culinary habits promoted by growing population diversity and exposure to European culture and cuisine. Almost all types of crème fraîche may curdle if heated or cooked (like sour cream) and cannot be added to hot food until the end of cooking^[1], unlike the Smetana sour cream. Some French crème fraîche resist curdling when heated or cooked, and are useful in finishing sauces in French cooking. Light crème fraîche contains about 12 to 18 % milk fat and curdles if heated or cooked. Can be used for dipping potato chips or crackers. Crème fraîche can be made at home by adding a small amount of cultured buttermilk or sour cream to normal heavy cream, and allowing to stand for several hours at room temperature until the bacterial cultures act on the cream.

Clabber is a similar food made in the Southern United States. Crema Mexicana is a cultured sour cream, often sold in supermarket dairy aisles in regions where crème fraîche is unavailable.

Sources

H. McGee On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of The Kitchen (p.49). New York: Scribner, 2004. ISBN 0-078-60901-4
Y. Hiu Handbook of Food Science, Technology and Engineering (p.179-6 to 179-7). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 2006. ISBN 084939848495

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 '''Crème fraîche''' ({{IPA2|kʁɛm fʁɛʃ}}, [[French language|French]] for "fresh cream") of [[France|French]] origin, is the [[Continental Europe|continental European]] counterpart to the [[soured cream]] more traditional to [[Western Europe]] and [[Anglophone]] cultures.
-It is a [[soured cream (food)|sour cream]], contains about 28% milk fat, slightly [[souring|soured]] with [[Microbiological culture|bacterial culture]], but less sour and thicker than sour cream. Originally a [[France|French]] product, today it is available throughout the rest of the world. Creme fraiche is produced by a process similar to that of sour cream, with the exception that no ingredients are added. Each processing step requires attention to producing and maintaining high viscosity. Commercially it is commonly fermented to an end pH around 4.5. However, the higher fat content and small scale processing contribute to a retail price in U.S. which is at least twice as expensive as traditional sour cream. Nevertheless, sales are growing. Its increasing popularity is an indication of changing culinary habits promoted by growing population diversity and exposure to European culture and cuisine. Almost all types of crème fraîche may curdle if heated or cooked (like sour cream) and cannot be added to hot food until the end of cooking<ref>[http://www.dlc.fi/~marianna/gourmet/i_milk.htm Valio Ltd] </ref>, unlike the [[Smetana (dairy product)|Smetana]] sour cream. Some French crème fraîche resist curdling when heated or cooked, and are useful in finishing sauces in French cooking. Light crème fraîche contains about 12 to 18 % milk fat and curdles if heated or cooked. Can be used for dipping potato chips or crackers. Crème fraîche can be made at home by adding a small amount of cultured [[buttermilk]] or sour cream to normal [[Cream#Types of cream|heavy cream]], and allowing to stand for several hours at room temperature until the bacterial cultures act on the cream.
+It is a [[sour cream (food)|soured cream]], contains about 28% milk fat, slightly [[souring|soured]] with [[Microbiological culture|bacterial culture]], but less sour and thicker than sour cream. Originally a [[France|French]] product, today it is available throughout the rest of the world. Creme fraiche is produced by a process similar to that of sour cream, with the exception that no ingredients are added. Each processing step requires attention to producing and maintaining high viscosity. Commercially it is commonly fermented to an end pH around 4.5. However, the higher fat content and small scale processing contribute to a retail price in U.S. which is at least twice as expensive as traditional sour cream. Nevertheless, sales are growing. Its increasing popularity is an indication of changing culinary habits promoted by growing population diversity and exposure to European culture and cuisine. Almost all types of crème fraîche may curdle if heated or cooked (like sour cream) and cannot be added to hot food until the end of cooking<ref>[http://www.dlc.fi/~marianna/gourmet/i_milk.htm Valio Ltd] </ref>, unlike the [[Smetana (dairy product)|Smetana]] sour cream. Some French crème fraîche resist curdling when heated or cooked, and are useful in finishing sauces in French cooking. Light crème fraîche contains about 12 to 18 % milk fat and curdles if heated or cooked. Can be used for dipping potato chips or crackers. Crème fraîche can be made at home by adding a small amount of cultured [[buttermilk]] or sour cream to normal [[Cream#Types of cream|heavy cream]], and allowing to stand for several hours at room temperature until the bacterial cultures act on the cream.
 [[Clabber_(food)|Clabber]] is a similar food made in the Southern United States.