What is British Clotted Cream?

Clotted, also known as clouted cream or Devonshire cream) is a thick yet light pudding like cream that is made by heating fatty cow’s milk with steam and then leaving it in shallow pans in a water bath to cool.  The clots are what rise to the top in this process.  The result is a delicious creamy spread that has a bit of a grainy texture… To be classified as clotted cream it must be fifty percent fat and in fact, it is so fatty that in the United States it is classified as butter. The flavor is rich, sweet and a bit nutty.

Although the true origin of how and where this cream was invented is a bit lost, the actual product which is sold in stores, is usually associated with dairy farm production in the South of England and in particular the counties of Devon and Cornwall.  The largest commercial producer of clotted cream is a company called Ruddas which is located in Redruth Cornwall. In fact, Devon clotted cream is said to be a little different than Cornish clotted cream.  Devon cream is whiter and Cornish cream is slightly yellow thanks to the cows nibbling on grass with a high carotene content in it.

In actuality it is thought to have originated in the Middle East as clotted cream is actually popular in Iran, Afghanistan, India and Turkey.  It is very similar to a creamy delicacy known as Kaymak which is made in Persia. It is thought that the technique of making the cream might have been introduced to Cornwall by Phoenician traders centuries ago.  Monks were making the cream at Tavistock Abbey in Devonshire in the early 1300s.  The big treat back then was bread, clotted cream and strawberry preserves; a classic that is still served at English tea today.

It is not considered to be a very healthy food, however like the British deep-fried Mars Bar it is a classic. Just one three and half ounce tub of cream contains as many calories as a big cheeseburger  (between 500 and 600 calories depending on the butterfat content.)  However it has been a staple for centuries because it has a longer shelf life than ordinary cream or butter. It does not sour as fast as other dairy products.

Clotted cream is very much an essential part of the traditional British tea. It is served scones, cookies, berries and cakes. You almost never see British clotted cream on a U.S. grocery shelf as it has a very short shelf life.