The market · Dairy and eggs · Northern and Central Europe, The Americas

Sour cream

Cream thickened and soured by bacteria — tangier and lighter than crème fraîche. Śmietana, the finishing spoonful on Polish food.

tangy · fresh

What to do with it

Ibu Sari's Beef rendangSour cream would cut through its richnessAna Etxarri's Pil pilSour cream would cut through its richnessTolu Adeyemi's SuyaSour cream would cut through its richnessTolu Adeyemi's Rendang, the Lagos waySour cream would cut through its richness
Classics built on it
PolishPlacki ziemniaczaneGrated raw potato and onion bound with egg and a little flour, fried in thin cakes until lacy and crisp.No one here has made it yet

Kinds

Śmietana 18%
The everyday Polish kind; for soups, pierogi and salads.
Śmietana 30%
Richer; holds up better in heat.
Mexican crema
Thinner and pourable.

Goes with

dillbeetrootpotatomushroom

Knowing it

Where to buy
Polish shops for śmietana.
Worth knowing
Temper it before it goes into a hot soup: whisk in a ladle of the soup first, then stir it back in off the boil.

Kitchens that keep it in

PolandPolishCold-climate cooking of grains, potatoes, dairy and ferments — sour things, soured things, and dumplings for every occasion.10 classics · 1 cooked here

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