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

Their fish tacos come topped with a chipotle crema and the shrimp tacos come with cilantro lime crema, served on a five-inch corn tortilla. —Endia Fontanez, The Arizona Republic, 15 Oct. 2024

Vegan Street Style: Vegan chorizo, cheddar cheese, black bean corn salsa, cilantro lime crema. —Cheryl V. Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 12 Aug. 2024

Bar bites like chicken tamales and refried bean sopes with crema and queso fresco will round out the experience. —Kate Kassin, Bon Appétit, 30 Sep. 2024

Finished off with lime crema, pickled red onions and cilantro. —Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 5 Sep. 2024

Its texture adds another layer when eating it all together with the other ingredients (including herbs, limone and Calabrian crema). —Aly Walansky, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2024

The taco: The fish ($5.25 per taco) is fried as a whole piece in a light and airy batter and topped with green cabbage, pico de gallo, crema and a squeeze of lime. —Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2024

Leon served chicken tostadas with avocado, chipotle crema and beet sprouts. —Prarthana Prakash, Fortune, 30 June 2024

Stir in chicken, crema, tortillas, and 1/2 cup of the Monterey Jack cheese. —Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 13 May 2024

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