Pastila
Pastil a ( Russian пастила ) is a Russian sweet made from dried fruit puree that has been known since the 14th century .
Traditionally, the puree made from apples of local, mostly sour varieties, was used to make pastila . The original aim was not so much the production of a dessert, but rather the efficient use of excess apple harvest by preserving it in the form of a longer-lasting product. The apples were first peeled, cored and chopped up. The mass was then sweetened by adding plenty of sugar (originally: honey ) and processed into puree using a whisk or a similar tool, sometimes by heating it in the oven. As soon as the puree hardened sufficiently, it was formed into leaves two to three centimeters thick, which were then left to dry in a warm place for several days. To make some types of Pastila, the finished puree layers were glued together like puff pastry and dried a second time in this state.
Since the 15th century, egg white has increasingly been used in the production of the puree for the pastila . This gives the finished pastila its typical white or cream-colored shape. In addition, by the 19th century, numerous pastila varieties were created in which instead of apples or in addition to which other fruits or berries were used to make the puree.
Kolomna is believed to be the first Russian city where pastila was made . There has been a Pastila Museum there since 2009, as well as a small production facility for Pastila based on traditional local recipes. Also Belyov and Rzhev were once considered traditional Pastila manufacturing locations. In general, however, pastila production by hand has lost a lot of its importance since the early 20th century. Nowadays pastila is almost exclusively produced industrially.
Closely related to pastila is sefir , a sweet made from apple puree, sugar and egg white, which is given its typical jelly-like consistency similar to that of marshmallows by adding agar . Sefir, like pastila, is mass-produced industrially in Russia today. Sefir pieces in chocolate glaze , which taste similar to chocolate kisses, are popular.
See also
Web links
- Pastila and Sefir : brief description on the website of a large confectionery manufacturer (Russian)
- An article about the Beljower Pastila (Russian)
- Official website of the Pastila Museum Kolomna (Russian)