Cream cheese

Smooth, spreadable, slightly tangy cow’s milk cheese with a fairly long shelf life due to the addition of gum arabic (or carrageenan or xanthan gum), a commercial stabilizer. By law, cream cheese must contain 33 percent butterfat and no more than 55 percent moisture. An American invention, it is the primary ingredient for American-style cheesecake; it is also mixed with sour cream to make the classic French dessert coeur à la crème. Cream cheese is often sold with the addition of herbs, fruits, and vegetables. Other cream cheeses are neufchâtel (not to be confused with the aged French neufchâtel) and nonfat, lowfat, and whipped cream cheese; with the exception of the whipped version, these have less fat, and the neufchâtel has even less moisture. Whipped has less calories due to the fact that air has lightened it. All cream cheese should be stored refrigerated and tightly wrapped.