Smetana (dairy product) facts for kids
A bowl of borscht with smetana
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| Type | Sour cream |
|---|---|
| Region or state | Central and Eastern Europe |
| Main ingredients | Heavy cream |
| Similar dishes | Crème fraîche |
Smetana (also called smotana) is a type of sour cream. It comes from Central and Eastern Europe. It is a dairy product made by making heavy cream sour.
Smetana is like crème fraîche, but it's often sold with different amounts of fat. It usually has between 9% and 42% milkfat. Smetana is used a lot in cooking and baking. It cooks differently from other sour creams.
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What is Smetana?
Smetana is a creamy, tangy dairy product. It's made by letting cream ferment, which gives it a slightly sour taste. This process makes it thicker and richer than regular cream.
Smetana vs. Other Creams
Smetana is thicker and has more fat than many sour creams sold in places like the US. This higher fat content is important for cooking. It helps smetana not curdle (separate) when heated. This makes it great for hot dishes.
In some Central European countries, like the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland, "smetana" can mean either sweet cream or soured cream. If it has at least 30% fat, it's often called "whipping cream."
How is Smetana Used?
Smetana is a popular ingredient in many Central and Eastern European meals. People use it in appetizers, main dishes, soups, and desserts.
You might find it mixed into soups or vegetable salads. It's also served with dumplings like pelmeni or pierogi. People often enjoy it with pancakes such as bliny. Sometimes, it's even used as a filling for savory pancakes.
Cooking with Smetana
Smetana is excellent for cooking because its high fat content stops it from curdling. This means it can be added to hot dishes without separating. It's used in meat stews, like beef Stroganoff, and vegetable stews. It's also great in casseroles and other dishes that cook for a long time in the oven. Smetana stays creamy and doesn't melt away in the oven.
In Hungarian cuisine, smetana (called tejföl) is used in sauces like paprikas. It's also in recipes like palacsinta (crepes) filled with ham or minced meat.
Smetana in Different Cuisines
In Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Russian cuisines, smetana is often added to borscht and other soups. It's also used as a salad dressing. It's a common condiment for dumplings like varenyky and pelmeni.
In Polish cuisine, smetana is added to traditional pierogi dumplings. It's also used in gravies, like those served with Czech beef svíčková. In Slovak cuisine, smotana is often part of Bryndzové halušky and Pierogi.
Smântână
Smântână is a Romanian dairy product. It's made by separating the fat from milk and keeping the cream. A great thing about smântână is that it won't curdle when you cook with it or add it to hot food. Its taste is tangy and sweet. If smântână tastes sour, it means it has gone bad.
The word smântână is related to the Slavic word smetana.
Smântână is very popular in Romanian cuisine. It's used in appetizers, main dishes, soups, and desserts. It's often added to ciorbă (a type of sour soup) and other soups. It's also used as a condiment for mămăligă (a cornmeal dish) and dishes like sarmale (cabbage rolls).
Where Does the Name Come From?
The word "smetana" comes from an old Slavic word, "sъmętana." This word is linked to the verb "sъmětati," which means "to remove" or "to dump."
This name for the dairy product has spread to many languages. For example, in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus, it's called "smyatana" or "śmiatana." In Finland, it's also called "smetana," especially for the high-fat version.
Other names for similar products include:
- German: saure Sahne, Schmand
- Armenian: թթվասեր (thtvaser)
- Slovenian: kisla smetana
- Polish: śmietana
- Bulgarian: заквасена сметана
- Slovak: smotana
- Czech: zakysaná smetana
- Romanian: smântână
In Finland, "smetana" usually means a product with a lot of fat (30% or more). Regular sour cream there is called hapankerma, which means "sour cream."
Images for kids
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Dumplings with plums and a side of sour cream
See also
In Spanish: Smetana (lácteo) para niños
