Kermainen

Kermainen is a Finnish adjective describing a texture or flavor that is creamy, smooth, and velvety. In culinary contexts it is used to characterize foods whose mouthfeel is rich and cohesive, often due to dairy cream, milk, or a well-emulsified mixture. The term can apply to sauces, soups, fillings, dressings, and desserts, as in kermainen kastike (creamy sauce) or kermainen keitto (creamy soup).

Etymology: The word derives from kerma, meaning “cream,” plus the adjectival suffix -inen, yielding “creamy” or “cream-like.” It belongs to a family of Finnish adjectives used to describe flavor or texture, such as makea (sweet) or suolainen (salty).

Usage notes: Kermainen is descriptive rather than prescriptive; it does not necessarily imply dairy content, though dairy products commonly contribute to a creamy texture. In writing and menus, it may accompany methods such as emulsification, blending, or the use of roux or bechamel to achieve smoothness. The term can also be used metaphorically for non-food contexts, for example to describe a kermainen ääni, meaning a velvety or creamy voice.

See also: Cream, Creaminess, Velvety texture, Bechamel.