cream sauce: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B1General, Culinary
Quick answer
What does “cream sauce” mean?
A smooth, liquid or semi-liquid culinary preparation made by combining cream with other ingredients (often butter, stock, or wine) and seasonings, used to coat or accompany food.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A smooth, liquid or semi-liquid culinary preparation made by combining cream with other ingredients (often butter, stock, or wine) and seasonings, used to coat or accompany food.
A rich, smooth, often mildly flavored dressing or component that enhances the main ingredient, typically associated with comfort food and classic, sometimes indulgent, cuisine. Can be metaphorically used to describe something smooth, rich, or palatably bland.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. Usage is similar. British recipes may more commonly specify 'double cream' or 'single cream' as the base, while American recipes specify 'heavy cream' or 'whipping cream'. 'White sauce' in UK cooking can refer to a béchamel (milk-based roux), but if cream is used, it is specifically 'cream sauce'.
Connotations
Similar connotations of richness and indulgence in both varieties.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in American culinary contexts, reflecting the popularity of dishes like 'fettuccine alfredo' (a type of cream sauce).
Grammar
How to Use “cream sauce” in a Sentence
[Verb] + cream sauce: make, prepare, simmer, reduce, whisk, pour, drizzle, coat in, toss in[Adjective] + cream sauce: a rich/thick/light/garlicky cream sauceVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “cream sauce” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- We decided to cream sauce the haddock, rather than baking it dry.
- The chef cream-sauced the pasta expertly.
American English
- She cream-sauced the vegetables for the potluck.
adverb
British English
- The chicken was cooked cream-sauce style.
American English
- The dish was prepared cream-sauce, just as requested.
adjective
British English
- It was a very cream-sauce kind of dish, very rich.
- He prefers cream-sauce pastas to tomato-based ones.
American English
- Avoid the cream-sauce options if you're on a diet.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except in hospitality/food industry contexts (e.g., 'Our new menu features a wild mushroom cream sauce').
Academic
Very rare, limited to food science or cultural studies of cuisine.
Everyday
Common in cooking and dining contexts (e.g., 'What's in the cream sauce?', 'I'll have the chicken in cream sauce').
Technical
Specific in professional culinary arts, referring to a 'sauce crème' or specifying emulsion types.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “cream sauce”
Strong
Neutral
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “cream sauce”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “cream sauce”
- Using 'cream sauce' to refer to any white, creamy liquid (e.g., yogurt sauce, tahini sauce).
- Misspelling as 'creem sauce' or 'creme sauce' (the latter is French-influenced but less common in everyday English).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not exactly. 'White sauce' often refers specifically to béchamel, which is milk-based and thickened with a roux. A 'cream sauce' uses cream as its primary liquid and may or may not use a roux for thickening. All cream sauces are white, but not all white sauces are cream sauces.
Technically, no, as 'cream' specifies a dairy product. However, you can make a vegan 'cream-style sauce' using cashew cream, coconut cream, or blended silken tofu to mimic the texture and richness.
Yes, Alfredo sauce (in its modern international version) is a specific type of cream sauce, typically made with cream, butter, and Parmesan cheese.
Avoid boiling it vigorously. Simmer gently and add acidic ingredients (like wine) carefully, reducing them before adding the cream. Using a higher-fat cream also increases stability.
A smooth, liquid or semi-liquid culinary preparation made by combining cream with other ingredients (often butter, stock, or wine) and seasonings, used to coat or accompany food.
Cream sauce is usually general, culinary in register.
Cream sauce: in British English it is pronounced /kriːm sɔːs/, and in American English it is pronounced /kriːm sɔːs/ (or /sɑːs/ in some regions). Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[Metaphorical] 'It's just cream sauce' - implying something is bland, unobjectionable, or lacking substance.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of the word 'CREAM' in 'cream sauce' - it's the key ingredient that makes it smooth and rich, like the cream you put in coffee.
Conceptual Metaphor
RICHNESS IS CREAM (e.g., 'a cream sauce of a novel' for a smooth, indulgent style). SMOOTHNESS IS LIQUID CREAM.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is a typical characteristic of a 'cream sauce'?