Nata

Creamy, dense and rich, nata (literally “cream”, similar to heavy / double cream) is a dairy product mostly available and used in Southern Brazilian cuisine. In the mountainous regions of Rio Grande do Sul called Serra Gaúcha, it is part of the plentiful colonial breakfast tables in Nova Petrópolis, and is always served as a side for the popular apfelstrudels of Canela. It is also used to prepare cakes, fillings, pies and cookies. In Brazil, there aren’t many varieties of fresh cream in the market. Some use the word nata as a synonym for creme de leite (whipping cream), but it’s not. Regular cream has, on average, 20% fat, and natahas a fat content of at least 40% (heavy / double cream is even richer, with a 48% fat content).