Talk:Smetana (dairy product)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Russia Portal
This page is within the scope of WikiProject Russia. If you would like to participate, please join the project and help with our open tasks.
Start This article has been rated as Start-Class on the assessment scale.
High This article has been rated as High-importance on the assessment scale.
Food Portal
This article is within the scope of WikiProject Food and drink, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of food and drink articles on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, you can edit the article attached to this page, or visit the project page, where you can join the project and/or contribute to the discussion.
Stub This article has been rated as Stub-class on the quality scale.
Mid This article has been rated as mid-importance on the importance scale.
It is requested that a photograph or photographs be included in this article to improve its quality.
The Free Image Search Tool (FIST) may be able to locate suitable images on Flickr and other web sites.

Contents

[edit] Old history of the article

Aout a year ago some wise guys decided to merge "smetana" into Sour cream. Obviously, they screwed something up, so that the old history landed here:

which I am placing it here, in compliance with GFDL rules. mikka (t) 05:08, 28 January 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Name of article

Is "smetana cream" a proper name for this article? Presumably it should be just "smetana", but that is already a disamb for the composer and other things. Perhaps this article should be moved to smetana (cream) — or, better, to smetana (food)?
Jorge Stolfi 01:11, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

Smetana (cream) is all right. --Ghirla | talk 10:53, 26 January 2006 (UTC)

I propose to move it as per Ghirla. If no one objects, let's move. --Irpen 05:12, 28 January 2006 (UTC)


[edit] Smetana = cream

As far as I know, at least in Czech 'smetana' means just cream, 'sour cream' is called 'kysaná smetana' Plch 18:32, 30 April 2006 (UTC)

The situation is similar in Bulgarian. Сметана is just cream and заквасена сметана is sour cream. --Emil Petkov 10:44, 2 November 2006 (UTC)
This article describes what is called "sladka smetana" ("sweet cream") in Slovenian. "Kisla smetana" is sour cream. Also, if you say just "smetana", people will normally think of sour cream first rather than the sweet creme fraiche like smetana that is described here. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.21.71.110 (talk) 22:35, 19 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Smetana spelling and pronunciation

Though smetana is written "сметана" in both Russian and Ukrainian languages, the pronunciation of it differs slightly. In Ukrainian it is [smɛ`ta:na], while in Russian it is [smjɛ`ta:na].

Also, whilst both in Russian сметана and in Ukrainian сметана, second syllable is stressed, it may not be so in other languages. As far as I know, in Czech language, the first syllable is stressed as a rule. So the Czech name must be pronounced probably [`smɛtana]. Still, my native language is Ukrainian, not Czech :) so I welcome the Czech speakers to say their word here (Flying Fish 09:49, 16 May 2006 (UTC))

I confirm the Czech pronunciation. Although I do not know Russian very well I think that the Russian pronunciation is rather [smʲɛ`ta:na]. I.e. the "м" before "е" is palatalized [mʲ] (see russian phonology). The correct pronunciation is difficult for us (Czechs) because the closest approximation in our language is [mj] which is probably a very different sound for Russians. --pabouk 09:38, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Source to use

If someone has time, please use this page as source: http://www.dlc.fi/~marianna/gourmet/i_milk.htm

[edit] Main entry

Should not the composer be the main entry? I think the anglophone user entering this word is more likely to be looking for a composer, who is pretty famous, than for the sour-cream.I suggest:

  1. Move this article to Smetana (diary) Smetana (dairy product)
  2. Have Smetana as a redirect to Bedřich Smetana
  3. Add {{Redirect|Smetana}} to the top of the composer article that would make a following note:
    "Smetana" redirects here. For other uses, see Smetana (disambiguation).

Objections? --Irpen 05:28, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

I agree completely - except to substitute "dairy", or perhaps "dairy product", for "diary" :-) . I was very taken aback to be faced with an article about sour cream when wanting to check a musical fact. Vilĉjo 15:44, 7 November 2006 (UTC)
Done. --Irpen 02:44, 9 November 2006 (UTC)
How about fixing double redirects and all? Now it is quite funny to trace from Smetana cream to Bedřich Smetana. `'mikkanarxi 03:12, 9 November 2006 (UTC)
Done. Sorry, --Irpen 04:17, 9 November 2006 (UTC)
I disagree. How would you like to find a person named Bread instead of kind of food?--Nixer 09:21, 12 November 2006 (UTC)
Well, if bread (the foodstuff) was a comparative rarity among users of the English-language Wikipedia, but there was a well-known individual by the name of Bread, then of course the person would take priority. It all comes down to how well-known the composer is versus the foodstuff (among users of this 'pedia): I have known of the composer for decades, but learnt of the dairy product just a matter of days ago. Perhaps that simply shows my ignorance ;) Vilĉjo 01:05, 14 November 2006 (UTC)
Please let us remember that this is an english wikipedia and the users looking for Smetana will most likely be searching for the composer. It is a pain to have to go through 3 pages to reach the composer's page (especially for poor dialup users). Let us at least turn Smetana into a disambig page if not a redirect to the composer's page. Shushruth \talk page \ contribs 19:59, 14 November 2006 (UTC)
It is already done. Smetana redirects to a composer and tl:otheruses is on top of the article. --Irpen 20:23, 14 November 2006 (UTC)
This "product" is readily avaivable in virtually any delicatessen, in Chicago, and not only as an import. It strikes me as one of those typically "goofy" articles one will find in Wikipedia, where a group of editors foolishly tries to argue about the uniqueness of a food product, that is in the final analysis not at all unique. What are the cows doing in Eastern Europe, that they are failing to do in the rest of the world? We all love the memory of our grandmothers, but this entire article is too bizarre. I find it also hard to believe that this is under the category of a "Russian High-Importance Article". Dr. Dan 01:28, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Problem with definition

Someone lef this anonymously on the article page:

The definition stated here for 'smetana' is not entirely correct. Its precise meaning in each of the languages listed needs to be researched and the text edited accordingly. For example in Czech, the word 'smetana' simply means 'cream', not sour cream but plain cream in varying percentages of fat. Sour cream in Czech is specifically, 'kysaná smetana', literally meaning sour cream. Czech sour cream is no heavier than Western European varieties.

The substance of this objection has been raised before, and still needs to be dealt with. Kevlar67 03:13, 14 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Cultured or not?

I have a question about smetana in its various forms and incarnations. I'd like to know whether or not a bacterial starter (culture) is added to the cream in any of the regions where it is made and eaten. Is it cultured, like American sour cream - or just a naturally soured cream product, like creme fraiche? It seems like this information would be relevant to the entry. Thanks. KateH 13:10, 28 August 2007 (UTC)