SPICEography 
Sour cream can enhance a range of dishes with its mouth-coating creamy consistency and tangy flavor. It’s the preferred condiment for baked potatoes and is essential if you are making homemade ranch dressing. If you run out of it, it is surprisingly easy to replace with various effective alternatives. Here …
Sour cream is often associated with American cooking, but it probably originated in Eastern Europe. Many historians believe that it originated in Russia specifically. Russian sour cream — called smetana — most likely comes from a Mongolian beverage called kumis. Mongolian kumis is made from horse milk and is similar …
Crème fraiche and clotted cream are two classic dairy products used as spreads and garnishes for many savory and sweet dishes. You can use either one to provide richness and body in some recipes, but you can’t always switch them out. Learn more about how they compare in the SPICEography …
Crème fraiche is a valuable and versatile ingredient if you plan to cook french dishes. It can work as an alternative to sour cream and other cultured dairy products from other parts of the world as well. It can be quite expensive; to get the most from your investment, you …
Crème fraîche is a cultured dairy product from Normandy in France that you will need if you plan to cook certain French dishes. It is versatile enough to be used in other types of cooking as well, since it can play the same role as heavy cream or sour cream. …
Crème fraiche is a cultured cream that originated in France’s Normandy region. The Normandy region is well-known for its dairy production. Crème fraiche from Isigny-sur-Mer — a town in Normandy — is considered among the best in the world, if not the very best. The term crème fraiche translates literally …
Clotted cream and butter are two similar dairy products that on paper may seem to be interchangeable. They are both rich in milkfat, which is sometimes called butterfat. Both are used as spreads and can be valuable for adding richness to foods. That said, there are some key differences that …
Clotted cream is essential if you want to make your version of the traditional cream tea from South West England at home. You won’t be able to find the fresh version in most parts of the world outside the UK, which means that you will need a substitute. Here are …