MNers in Germany - cream help please!

[Scootergrrrl]

Can someone pleeeeeeeease explain to me the different types of cream in Germany? So far, I've found schlag sahne, saure sahne, schmand and many others and I don't know what I need to buy. What's the difference between them? It's making my brain hurt....

Schlagsahne translates as whipping cream but since Germany doesn't differentiate between single and double cream, this is the standard cream you use, either whipped or just for pouring.

Saure sahne is sour cream and Schmand tastes sourish too but I can't remember the difference, I think Schmand is lower fat than Saure sahne. I find these sour ones can be used instead of creme fraiche but you can find that too.

HTH