Potterverse characters and tea.

[Carol]

montims wrote:
>
> While we're kind of on the subject - maybe this is one for Carol :)
 - why do Americans call it cream, and use a creamer, when what they
mean is milk, please?  My first few times of visiting places for
coffee, and being offered cream, I was thrilled, as I envisaged little
jugs of thick yellow delight.

> I drink my coffee black usually, but for that pleasure I would
indulge.  But no... it means (usually) little plastic tubs of skimmed,
pasteurized milk, or else a jug of ditto.  Then again, the fancier
places ask me if I want cream in my tea, which sounds disgusting, so I
say no, just milk, and they explain that is what they meant all
along...  I've never really understood that one...

Carol responds:

I've never seen little tubs of skim milk, only half-and-half (half
cream, half whole milk) or liquid creamer, which is liquefied
Coffeemate or something similar, AFAIK. I know people who put milk,
even two percent milk (never skim--gah!) in their coffee at home, but
not in a restaurant.

According to a website I just found, half-and-half is mainly used in
beverages and doesn't whip. It has about half the butterfat of what
the British call "single cream." (I've only heard "whipping cream,"
"heavy cream," etc. in the States.) Here's the link if you're interested:

http://www.joyofbaking.com/Cream.html

Carol, who likes coffee creamer and ice cream but not real cream,
which tastes sour and heavy to me