Difference Wiki

Cream vs. Paste: What's the Difference?

Edited by Aimie Carlson || By Janet White || Updated on September 18, 2023
"Cream" is a thick liquid or semi-solid emulsion, often used in cooking or skincare, while "Paste" is a thicker, often sticky mixture that can be either edible or inedible, used in various applications.

Key Differences

"Cream" is often derived from dairy, made by skimming the fatty layer off milk. Its applications range from culinary uses to skincare. "Paste," on the other hand, can be made from various ingredients, including flour, water, and additional elements depending on its intended use.
Both "Cream" and "Paste" have various consistencies but serve different functions. Creams are generally smoother and easier to spread, ideal for applications like baking or moisturizing. Pastes are usually thicker, used for adhering items or as a cooking ingredient.
While the word "Cream" often implies something luxurious or rich, "Paste" generally carries a more functional connotation. Creams are often associated with indulgence, like in desserts or high-end cosmetics. Pastes are thought of as practical, like in glue or marinades.
"Cream" and "Paste" can also differ significantly in their storage requirements. Creams, especially those that are dairy-based, may require refrigeration, whereas pastes often have longer shelf lives and can be stored at room temperature.

Comparison Chart

Consistency

Smooth, liquid
Thicker, sticky
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Common Uses

Cooking, skincare
Cooking, adhesive

Origin

Often dairy-based
Various ingredients

Storage

Refrigeration
Room temperature

Connotations

Luxurious, rich
Practical, sturdy

Cream and Paste Definitions

Cream

A culinary ingredient for richness.
The recipe calls for heavy cream.
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Paste

A thick mixture for adhesive purposes.
She used paste to stick the poster on the wall.

Cream

A smooth skincare product.
The cream moisturized her skin.

Paste

An edible blend of ingredients.
Add garlic paste to the curry.

Cream

The best part of a group or collection.
He is the cream of the crop in his field.

Paste

A thick substance for polishing or cleaning.
Use the paste to clean the silver.

Cream

The yellowish fatty component of unhomogenized milk that tends to accumulate at the surface.

Paste

A synonym for defeating or trouncing.
The team pasted their opponents.

Cream

Any of various substances resembling or containing cream
Hand cream.

Paste

A smooth viscous mixture, as of flour and water or of starch and water, that is used as an adhesive for joining light materials, such as paper and cloth.

Cream

A pale yellow to yellowish white.

Paste

The moist clay or clay mixture used in making porcelain or pottery. Also called pâte.

Cream

The choicest part
The cream of the crop.

Paste

A smooth dough of water, flour, and butter or other shortening, used in making pastry.

Cream

To form cream.

Paste

A food that has been pounded until it is reduced to a smooth creamy mass
Anchovy paste.

Cream

To form foam or froth at the top.

Paste

A sweet doughy candy or confection
Rolled apricot paste.

Cream

To have an orgasm.

Paste

A hard, brilliant, lead-containing glass used in making artificial gems.

Cream

To be excited or delighted about something.

Paste

A gem made of this glass. Also called strass.

Cream

To remove the cream from; skim.

Paste

A hard blow.

Cream

To take or remove (the best part)
Creamed off the highest-paying jobs for her cronies.

Paste

To cause to adhere by applying paste.

Cream

To take the best part from
Creamed the whole department to form his management team.

Paste

To cover with something by using paste
He pasted the wall with burlap.

Cream

To beat into a creamy consistency.

Paste

(Computers) To insert (text, graphics, or other data) into a document or file.

Cream

To prepare or cook in or with a cream sauce.

Paste

(Computers) To insert text, graphics, or other data into a document or file.

Cream

To add cream to.

Paste

To strike forcefully.

Cream

To defeat overwhelmingly
Creamed our rival on their home court.

Paste

To defeat soundly.

Cream

To damage severely; destroy
My camera got creamed when I dropped it.

Paste

A soft moist mixture, in particular:

Cream

Vulgar Slang To have an orgasm in (one's pants, for example).

Paste

One of flour, fat, or similar ingredients used in making pastry.

Cream

The butterfat/milkfat part of milk which rises to the top; this part when separated from the remainder.
Take 100 ml of cream and 50 grams of sugar…

Paste

(obsolete) Pastry.

Cream

The liquid separated from milk, possibly with certain other milk products added, and with at least eighteen percent of it milkfat.

Paste

One of pounded foods, such as fish paste, liver paste, or tomato paste.

Cream

The liquid separated from milk containing at least 18 percent milkfat (48% for double cream).

Paste

One used as an adhesive, especially for putting up wallpapers, etc.

Cream

(tea and coffee) A portion of cream, such as the amount found in a creamer.
I take my coffee with two cream and three sugar.

Paste

(physics) A substance that behaves as a solid until a sufficiently large load or stress is applied, at which point it flows like a fluid

Cream

A yellowish white colour; the colour of cream.

Paste

A hard lead-containing glass, or an artificial gemstone made from this glass.

Cream

(informal) Frosting, custard, creamer, or another substance similar to the oily part of milk or to whipped cream.

Paste

(obsolete) Pasta.

Cream

(figuratively) The best part of something.
The cream of the crop
The cream of a collection of books or pictures

Paste

(mineralogy) The mineral substance in which other minerals are embedded.

Cream

(medicine) A viscous aqueous oil/fat emulsion with a medicament added, used to apply that medicament to the skin. (compare with ointment)
You look really sunburnt; you should apply some cream.

Paste

(transitive) To stick with paste; to cause to adhere by or as if by paste.

Cream

Semen.

Paste

To insert a piece of media (e.g. text, picture, audio, video) previously copied or cut from somewhere else.

Cream

(obsolete) The chrism or consecrated oil used in anointing ceremonies.

Paste

To strike or beat someone or something.

Cream

Cream-coloured; having a yellowish white colour.

Paste

To defeat decisively or by a large margin.

Cream

To puree, to blend with a liquifying process.
Cream the vegetables with the olive oil, flour, salt and water mixture.

Paste

A soft composition, as of flour moistened with water or milk, or of earth moistened to the consistence of dough, as in making potter's ware.

Cream

To turn a yellowish white colour; to give something the color of cream.

Paste

Specifically, in cookery, a dough prepared for the crust of pies and the like; pastry dough.

Cream

(slang) To obliterate, to defeat decisively.
We creamed the opposing team!

Paste

A kind of cement made of flour and water, starch and water, or the like, - used for uniting paper or other substances, as in bookbinding, etc., - also used in calico printing as a vehicle for mordant or color.

Cream

To ejaculate used of either gender.

Paste

A highly refractive vitreous composition, variously colored, used in making imitations of precious stones or gems. See Strass.

Cream

To ejaculate in (clothing or a bodily orifice).

Paste

A soft confection made of the inspissated juice of fruit, licorice, or the like, with sugar, etc.

Cream

To rub, stir, or beat (butter) into a light creamy consistency.

Paste

The mineral substance in which other minerals are imbedded.

Cream

(transitive) To skim, or take off by skimming, as cream.

Paste

To unite with paste; to fasten or join by means of paste.

Cream

To take off the best or choicest part of.

Paste

Any mixture of a soft and malleable consistency

Cream

(transitive) To furnish with, or as if with, cream.

Paste

An adhesive made from water and flour or starch; used on paper and paperboard

Cream

(intransitive) To gather or form cream.

Paste

A tasty mixture to be spread on bread or crackers

Cream

The rich, oily, and yellowish part of milk, which, when the milk stands unagitated, rises, and collects on the surface. It is the part of milk from which butter is obtained.

Paste

Join or attach with or as if with glue;
Paste the sign ont the wall
Cut and paste the sentence in the text

Cream

The part of any liquor that rises, and collects on the surface.

Paste

Hit with the fists;
He pasted his opponent

Cream

A delicacy of several kinds prepared for the table from cream, etc., or so as to resemble cream.

Paste

Cover the surface of;
Paste the wall with burlap

Cream

A cosmetic; a creamlike medicinal preparation.
In vain she tries her paste and creams,To smooth her skin or hide its seams.

Paste

A computer command to insert copied data.
I'll just paste this text into the document.

Cream

The best or choicest part of a thing; the quintessence; as, the cream of a jest or story; the cream of a collection of books or pictures.
Welcome, O flower and cream of knights errant.

Cream

To skim, or take off by skimming, as cream.

Cream

To take off the best or choicest part of.

Cream

To furnish with, or as with, cream.
Creaming the fragrant cups.

Cream

To form or become covered with cream; to become thick like cream; to assume the appearance of cream; hence, to grow stiff or formal; to mantle.
There are a sort of men whose visagesDo cream and mantle like a standing pool.

Cream

The best people or things in a group;
The cream of England's young men were killed in the Great War

Cream

The part of milk containing the butterfat

Cream

Toiletry consisting of any of various substances resembling cream that have a soothing and moisturizing effect when applied to the skin

Cream

Make creamy by beating;
Cream the butter

Cream

Put on cream, as on one's face or body;
She creams her face every night

Cream

Remove from the surface;
Skim cream from the surface of milk

Cream

Add cream to one's coffee, for example

Cream

A dairy product made by skimming milk.
She added cream to her coffee.

Cream

A term for beating ingredients until smooth.
Cream the butter and sugar together.

FAQs

What is Cream?

Cream is a thick liquid or semi-solid emulsion often used in cooking or skincare.

Is Paste always edible?

No, some pastes like adhesive or polishing pastes are not edible.

What is the consistency of Cream?

Cream is generally smooth and liquid or semi-solid.

Does Cream require refrigeration?

Dairy-based creams usually require refrigeration.

Does Paste have a long shelf life?

Many pastes have a long shelf life and can be stored at room temperature.

Can Paste be diluted?

Some pastes can be diluted to achieve a desired consistency.

What is Paste?

Paste is a thicker, often sticky mixture used in various applications like cooking or adhering items.

Can Cream be non-dairy?

Yes, there are non-dairy cream alternatives made from plants.

Is Cream used in cosmetics?

Yes, cream is often used as a base in skincare products.

Is Paste the same as glue?

Not necessarily, though some pastes have adhesive properties similar to glue.

Can Paste be used in cooking?

Yes, some pastes like tomato paste or curry paste are used in cooking.

What is the consistency of Paste?

Paste is usually thicker and may be sticky.

Can Cream be whipped?

Yes, certain types of cream can be whipped to create whipped cream.

Is Cream used in desserts?

Yes, cream is often used in desserts for its rich texture.

Can Cream and Paste be interchanged?

Generally no, as they have different properties and uses.
About Author
Written by
Janet White
Janet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
Edited by
Aimie Carlson
Aimie Carlson, holding a master's degree in English literature, is a fervent English language enthusiast. She lends her writing talents to Difference Wiki, a prominent website that specializes in comparisons, offering readers insightful analyses that both captivate and inform.

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