Types of Fermented Dairy Products

Cultured buttermilk is made from skim milk and a culture specific to North America. It has a light, slightly thickened, but pourable texture and a tangy flavor. Widely used in North American baking, in garde manger work it is used in salad dressings and dips. (Traditional buttermilk is made from the thin liquid that remains after butter is made. This liquid was left at room temperature to thicken and sour by fermentation through the action of ambient bacteria. It is not produced by commercial dairies.)

Yogurt is made from milks of varying fat content. Whole-milk yogurt is rich and creamy, and it often has an even thicker, creamier layer on the top. Low-fat yogurt and nonfat yogurt are often treated with additional milk solids and natural and artificial thickeners. Plain, unflavored yogurt is appropriate for most garde manger work. It is frequently used to replace sour cream or crème fraîche in low-fat cooking. Yogurt culture is native to the Middle East and the Caucasus.

Kefir [kef-FEER] is a milk beverage traditional to the Caucasus area that has become popular in North America. It is fermented by both a bacterial culture and a yeast culture specific to the Caucasus. As its popularity grows, kefir will likely be used in much the same way as buttermilk.

Sour cream is a thick, custardy product made from light cream and a specific North American culture. It has a mildly tangy taste. Standard sour cream has a milk-fat content of about 18 percent. Low-fat sour cream usually contains natural and artificial thickeners to approximate the texture of full-fat sour cream.

Crème fraîche [krem FRESH] is a rich, thick, fermented dairy product made from creams of varying milk-fat content and a culture originating in France. It has a tangy, nutty flavor.