By Patty Summers


Everyone gets a sweet tooth every once in awhile, but sometimes the usual suspects like chocolate or ice cream just won't cut it. Perhaps you are craving something fruity and delicious instead, such as kissel. If you don't know what this is, then you are missing out on one of the most diverse desserts around.

Kissel, simply put, is a tasty soup that is made of fruit, most often berries, that is often served as a dessert after the main part of a meal. A very basic recipe would consist of a fruit juice of your choice, with sugar and a thickener to give it a soupy consistency. The thickener is traditionally arrowroot or cornstarch, though some recipes and cultures also use potato starch.

One of the biggest variations is the use of wine in the basic recipe, which gives the soup an extra pop of color and a nice tinge of alcohol. Dried fruit is added for a stronger taste and to add some texture, while fresh fruit is used for the same reasons as well. Recipes get altered quite a bit depending on how the dish will be used or who it is intended for.

The soup is usually consumed with a broth-like consistency, though you can add extra starch to make it thicker. Some like it so thick that it is more like the viscosity of a stew rather than soup. In Russia, some people prefer to drink their kissel, so they add less thickener to the mix to make it easy to drink from a bottle or glass.

Fruit soups are traditionally served chilled, especially in summer when a hot, heavy dessert might be overwhelming. In the case of kissel, it can be served hot or cold, depending on your own personal preference. It tastes delicious either way, so try it both as a hot or cold soup and see which one works the best for you and any dinner guests you might have.

The recipe can be altered to be used in dishes other than soups or drinks as well. It can even be substituted for other ingredients, such as when some people use it on pancakes in place as syrup, usually warm but occasionally hot as well. Some people use it in place of syrup in a warm fruit compote than can be used on pancakes, ice cream and cakes. It is also used as a pudding topping, or served on top of quark for a snack.

If you don't have time to make the dish on your own, it has become so popular that it can now be purchased in instant form. Instead of taking the time to buy juice, fruits and thickeners separately, you can instead buy a single package that has almost everything you need already in it. Most call for you to just add warm water to dissolve the powder, which will then thicken over time, much like gelatin.

Whether you prefer a traditional recipe or like to add your own touches, kissel is a versatile dessert that can be eaten or drunk. You get to decide the viscosity, sweetness and use on your own, which makes it a tasty dish that is open to a whole lot of culinary interpretation.




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