smotana

Smotana is a dairy product consisting of the fatty cream that rises to the top of fresh milk. In several Central and Eastern European languages, the term broadly denotes cream and is used for both plain cream and fermented varieties such as sour cream.

Cream is produced by separating the higher-fat portion from milk, often by gravity or with a cream separator. The resulting product may be pasteurized and sold as unfermented cream for pouring or whipping, or cultured with lactic acid bacteria to produce sour cream, which has a tangy flavor and thicker texture.

Culinary uses vary by region. Plain smotana can be poured over fruit, used in desserts, or folded into sauces and pastries. Fermented smotana, or sour cream, is a common ingredient in Central and Eastern European cuisine, as a topping for soups such as borscht, stews, dumplings, and salads, and as a base for dressings and batters.

Fat content and processing differ by country, leading to a range of products from light pourable creams to thick cultured varieties. Smotana has cognates in related languages, including Czech smetana, Polish śmietana, and Russian smetana.