A recurring post on expat forums is how to find sour cream, what it’s called in French, how to use it. Holidays mean guests and they often mean you’re making nibbly foods and dips (I’m big on making guacamole, for example).

Swissmilk, the dairy industry board’s consumer website, has just published a useful page on full and half sour cream, with a selection of recipes. In Switzerland, you can buy full cream crème acidulée, 35% fat and a relatively solid consistency, and you can also buy demi-crème acidulée, usually 15% fat, sometimes a bit more. The latter is less firm and a good substitute for American sour cream.

Full sour cream, like regular full cream, works for cooking and acidifying, whereas these should mostly be avoided with half-sour cream.

Lactic bacteria create slightly acidic sour creams from Swiss cream, the organization explains. You’ll find a pdf document in French that gives good background on Swiss cream, which differs slightly from French – useful to know for holiday substitutes.