![\"kisielp\"](\"http:\/\/www.withaglass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/kisielp.jpg\")
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This is one of the most extraordinary things that can be made with rhubarb. The tangy fresh flavours, the pink hue and, most of all, the addictive gooey consistency make this pudding one of my favourite spring sweet treats. One of the rare desserts I prefer when still warm.<\/p>\n
Probably a majority of my dear readers have never even heard of kisiel<\/em>, so I will start with the explanation. Kisiel<\/em> (pronounced “kishyel”) is a very popular Polish pudding, made with fruit soft drinks or whole fruits with water (and nowadays, alas, most people buy its powdered instant versions…). It is thickened with potato starch (hence the gooey consistency), served warm or cold and usually has a fresh, tangy note. Its unique texture – vaguely reminiscent of Lemon Curd<\/a>\u00a0–\u00a0is as important for me as its flavour.\u00a0It is a very light, fat-free pudding that can easily be made even lighter if you use a sweetener instead of sugar.<\/p>\n I have learnt only recently that similar fruit dishes exist for example in Germany, Estonia, Lithuania or Finland, but sometimes they mean slightly thickened soft drinks and not puddings. When I saw a Finnish Rhubarb Kiisseli<\/em> recipe in my\u00a0Moomins Cookbook<\/a>\u00a0(for those of you who don’t know it yet, I am particularly fond of Moomin characters<\/a>; I have already mentioned this book here<\/a>), this discovery gave me the idea to include the Moomin family into the photo. The beautiful tray you see above was one of the most touching presents I have ever been offered. I was completely blown away when I received it from my dear friend Charles (from Five Euro Food<\/a>), who bought it during one of his trips to Sweden. This tray, my infallible mood improver, was perfect to serve kisiel, since both bring back my childhood memories. Thank you so much again, Charles, for your thoughtful kind \u00a0gesture.<\/p>\n Since all this has put me in a happy “Moomin” mood, here is the cartoon’s theme song:<\/p>\n