crema

noun

ˈkre-mə 

plural cremas

1

: cream or a preparation made with or resembling cream used in cooking : crème: such as

a

: any of various custards prepared as a dish, sauce, or filling

… a trio of Mediterranean desserts, including a Catalan-inspired, lavender crema presented in an edible almond ramekin.

—Julia Zaltzman

b

: heavy cream thickened and slightly soured usually with buttermilk and often served with spicy foods

Serve the flautas with the crema.

—Zanne Early Zakroff

Crema can be used to thicken or enrich a dish, but it is broadly thought of as a condiment.

—Alex Stupak and Jordana Rothman

Pour in the Mexican crema, stirring to make sure it coats all of the vegetables, and gently simmer for about 2 minutes.

—Mely Martínez

2

: a layer of golden-brown froth that forms on the top of freshly made espresso

To get the best aroma, flavor and crema, I needed fresh beans from great roasters.

—Jeremy Repanich

What the head is to the beer lover, the foam called crema is to the espresso aficionado. … The crema is produced as the water is pushed through and past the close-packed grains of coffee, although how that happens is not fully understood.

—Sidney Perkowitz

Examples of crema in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This is due to its high-pressure brewing method, which emulsifies the coffee’s natural oils and creates the signature crema. —Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 27 Nov. 2025

Better still, savor them inside the Torta Chill Akil (150 pesos), a sandwich with chips, grilled chicken, melted gouda, crema, pickled onion, cilantro and avocado. —New York Times, 13 Nov. 2025

Other tempting items include cono de crema, pan para capirotada and the seasonal rosca de reyes. —Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 12 Nov. 2025

Plus, the espresso’s cloud-like crema looks especially striking against the white glaze. —Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 7 Nov. 2025

In the classic version, refried beans bring a hyper-comforting hit of starch accented by the salty queso duro and crema, whose sheer level of funk rivals that of some fungal cheeses. —Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 26 Sep. 2025

For the rest of September, Lakefront's curd of the month is taco-fried, made with taco seasoning and served with nacho cheese sauce and cilantro avocado crema. —Angelika Ytuarte, jsonline.com, 24 Sep. 2025

Shot against the stunning backdrops of New Zealand, the campaign shows how even the smallest moments of a morning ritual — from the hiss of steam to the first swirl of crema — can embody calm and indulgence. —Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025

It’s accompanied by chipotle ranch, onions, red and green peppers, pico de gallo, avocado crema and jalapeno jack cheese. —Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 22 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

(sense 1) borrowed from Spanish, "cream," borrowed from French crème, going back to Old French craime; (sense 2) borrowed from Italian, "cream," borrowed from French crème — more at cream entry 1

First Known Use

1982, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for crema

• cima
• pima
• prima
• rima
• schema
• sema
• sima
• thema
• edema
• extrema
• ulema
• emphysema