Clotted cream

Clotted cream (dehen molys, sometimes called scalded, clouted, Devonshire or Cornish cream) is a thick cream made by heating full-cream cow's milk using steam or a water bath and then leaving it in shallow pans to cool slowly. During this time, the cream content rises to the surface and forms "clots" or "clouts", hence the name. It forms an essential part of a cream tea. Although its origin is uncertain, the cream is associated with dairy farms in South West England and in particular the counties of Devon and Cornwall. The largest commercial producer in the United Kingdom is Rodda's at Scorrier, near Redruth, Cornwall, which can produce up to 25 tons of clotted cream a day. In 1998, "Cornish clotted cream" was registered as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) under European Union law. The designation can be used if the production follows certain requirements, from milk produced in Cornwall and the cream has a minimum fat content of 55%. Following Brexit, the PDO was also registered under UK law. It is recognised as a geographical indication in Georgia, Iceland, Moldova, Montenegro, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland, and Ukraine. Clotted cream has been described as having a "nutty, cooked milk" flavour, and a "rich sweet flavour" with a texture that is grainy, sometimes with oily globules on the crusted surface. It is a thick cream, with a very high fat content (a minimum of 55 percent, but an average of 64 percent). For comparison, the fat content of single cream is only 18 percent. According to the UK Food Standards Agency, clotted cream provides per . Originally made by farmers to reduce the amount of waste from their milk, clotted cream has become so deep-rooted in the culture of southwest Britain that it is embedded as part of the region's tourist attraction. While there is no doubt of its strong and long association with Cornwall and Devon, it is not clear how ancient its origins are. The Oxford Companion to Food follows traditional folklore by suggesting it may have been introduced to Cornwall by Phoenician traders in search of tin.