Kissel

Kissel (kisel) is a Russian and Eastern European jelly-type dessert made by sweetening fruit purée or juice — cranberry being the classic, with cherry, currant and apple common — and thickening it with starch such as potato, corn or arrowroot, then serving it hot or cold. Simple and inexpensive, it is served in canteens, schools and homes across the region, with viscosity graded from drinkable to spoonable by starch dose. The starch gel sets the texture, while the fruit’s own acidity and the sugar level keep the product stable in short-term refrigerated storage. Nutritionally it delivers fruit vitamins and energy; institutional producers control starch gelatinisation, pasteurisation and chilling to ensure smooth texture and microbiological safety.