LondonFA:
What different grades of cream are called varies from country to country. I live between Spain the UK and the USA and have found very little equivalence between the grades of cream.
In Spain there is “nata para reposteria” [Cream for deserts] which is around 20% fat and “nata para cocinar” [cream for cooking] which is around 12.5% fat. Ive not found a heavy cream equivalent at regular groceries but there is nata densa in a specialist dairy shop in Barcelona that has a cream at 38% fat in small jars.
In the UK there is double cream which is around 48% fat and there is single cream which is around 18% fat.
In New York (cant speak for all of the US), there is Heavy cream at about 38% fat, whipping cream which sometimes contains gumming agents to aid with whipping at around 32% fat and half and half which is around 15% fat.
Ultimately the market and country dictate the content but if you’re looking at finding an equivalent look for cream at around 35+% fat content by volume and you’re in the right ballpark.
Thanks for that excellent information. Being in the UK, I go for Double Cream which is the highest fat content of the lot! One does have to be careful though not to overdo it and the most I can take in a day is 600ml.
