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Cream
Cheese
From Wikibooks, the
open-content textbooks collection
Cream cheese
is a soft, mild-tasting, white cheese that contains at
least 33% milk fat (as marketed) with a moisture content
of not more than 55%, and a pH range of 4.4 to 4.9. It is
sold in brick form or in a small, tub-like container.
Variety brands add such additional seasonings as garlic,
dill,
and olives.
Cream cheese differs from other cheese in that it is not
allowed time to mature and is meant to be consumed fresh.
It is a primary ingredient in cheesecake and other
desserts, and is often spread on bagels and eaten with lox
(smoked salmon).
On bagels, cream cheese is sometimes referred to by the
Yiddish word schmear.
In many European
countries, cream cheese is eaten as a cheese, rather than
a spread, and it is served on cheese trays. For example,
in Italy, chunks of cream cheese are served in fresh
salads. Japanese consumers put cream cheese on crusty
bread. Cream cheese bars, originally invented in Russia,
have made their way State-side in recent years.
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