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

Dodger Stadium Team: Los Angeles Dodgers The Slugger is a 16-inch jalapeño cheddar sausage topped with corn relish, white cheddar cheese sauce, cilantro crema and crunchy tortilla strips, served with fries. —Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 27 Mar. 2025

Toasted Cheddar Street Chalupa - Coming this year In 2023, Houston customers tried this twist on the cheesy street chalupa, featuring cheddar baked into the shell, a layer of crispy cheese toasted on the outside, and a new chile lime crema sauce. —Maxwell Millington, Axios, 21 Mar. 2025

The Polish Cannonball delivers comfort with egg noodles, kielbasa, crispy bacon, and sharp cheddar cheese, all drizzled with a zesty herb crema. —Nasha Smith, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025

To start, smaller plates include a Kaluga caviar macaroon with Champagne citrus crema and dill; a Hudson Valley foie gras tart topped with Fuji apple gelee, pine nuts, and feuilletine; and winter truffle ricotta gnudi with maitake mushroom and buttery greens. —Tori Latham, Robb Report, 11 Feb. 2025

The crema had settled in the bottom amid the sooty remnants of the coffee. —Brandon Taylor, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2025

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, 4 Jan. 2025

The recalled products – including cheese, crema, yogurt and sour cream – were distributed nationwide and sold under brand names including 365 Whole Foods Market, Don Francisco and Tio Francisco. —Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 23 Dec. 2024

That’s even before they’re covered in a cloud of crema, bejeweled with heirloom tomato pico de gallo. —Louisa Kung Liu Chu, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 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