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.
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.
milk
'die Milch' and 'der Rahm' are both connected with dairy products. 'Milch' is the normal liquid that you drink or use for cooking. 'Rahm' is the fatty part of milk and means the same as 'Sahne' (cream). You hear the word 'Rahm' especially in Austria, Switzerland, and southern Germany. The words can be confused because cream comes from milk. If you mean the liquid in a glass or in coffee, you say 'Milch'. If you mean the fatty part for sauces, desserts, or coffee, 'Rahm' or 'Sahne' fits.
In der Schweiz bestellt Emma Kaffee mit Rahm statt mit Milch.
In Switzerland, Emma orders coffee with cream instead of milk.
Beim Frühstück gibt Paul etwas Milch in seinen Kaffee.
At breakfast, Paul puts a little milk in his coffee.