cream
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cream
The fatty part of milk that collects on the surface; cream. This word is used mainly in Austria, Switzerland, and southern Germany.
Für die Soße benötigen wir einen Becher frischen Rahm.
For the sauce, we need a cup of fresh cream.
to skim off the cream
In the expression 'den Rahm abschöpfen' (to skim off the cream), it means to secure the best or most profitable part of something for oneself, often at the expense of others.
Die großen Konzerne schöpfen bei diesem Geschäft den Rahm ab, während die kleinen Zulieferer kaum etwas verdienen.
The large corporations skim off the cream in this business, while the small suppliers earn hardly anything.
The word 'Rahm' (cream) is used mainly in Austria, Switzerland, and southern Germany. In other parts of Germany, 'Sahne' (cream) is more common.
Für den Kuchen brauchst du noch einen Becher Rahm.
You still need a cup of cream for the cake.
In culinary contexts, a distinction is often made between 'süßer Rahm' (sweet cream, for desserts) and 'saurer Rahm' (sour cream, for savory dishes). Typical verbs are 'Rahm hinzufügen' (to add cream) or 'etwas mit Rahm verfeinern' (to refine something with cream).
Die Pilzsoße wird mit einem Löffel saurem Rahm besonders cremig.
The mushroom sauce becomes especially creamy with a spoonful of sour cream.
The idiom 'den Rahm abschöpfen' (to skim off the cream) is a fixed expression. The verb is 'abschöpfen' (to skim off), and 'den Rahm' (the cream) is the corresponding accusative object. It means to secure the greatest advantages for oneself.
Bei dem Projekt hat die Agentur den Rahm abgeschöpft und die meiste Arbeit an Freiberufler weitergegeben.
In the project, the agency skimmed off the cream and passed most of the work on to freelancers.
You can almost always recognize the idiomatic meaning from the verb 'abschöpfen' (to skim off). If 'Rahm' (cream) appears with verbs like 'kaufen' (to buy), 'brauchen' (to need), or 'hinzufügen' (to add), it almost always refers to the food.
Er hat schnell investiert, um bei der neuen Technologie den Rahm abzuschöpfen.
He invested quickly in order to skim off the cream from the new technology.
cream
Both words refer to the fatty part of milk and are interchangeable in this sense. „Sahne“ is the usual term in standard German, especially in Germany, while „Rahm“ is used mainly in Switzerland, Austria, and southern Germany. The appropriate choice therefore depends primarily on the region.
In der Schweiz kaufe ich für den Kuchen eine Packung Rahm.
In Switzerland, I buy a carton of cream for the cake.
In Deutschland kaufe ich für den Kuchen eine Packung Sahne.
In Germany, I buy a carton of cream for the cake.
