Day of the Kisel Girls

Young noblewomen in Russia in the 19th century. They were known as tremulous, vulnerable, slightly cutesy creatures and completely unadapted to life. The delicacy and some exaltation of provincial girls was emphasized by muslin outfits. From this airy and transparent fabric, dressmakers sewed blouses and dresses for customers, knitted openwork collars and cuffs. In the story "Pittish Happiness" published in 1861, the writer N.G. Pomyalovsky called young pompous girls muslin young ladies. The complete opposite of them was the modest, intelligent and sensitive “Turgenev girl”. In the dictionary V.I. Dahl's word "muslin" means "a dandy who walks in muslin." Its lexical meaning contains a disparaging connotation and indicates a sign of stupidity and bad taste. Centuries later, an unknown joker decided to play on the old expression “muslin young ladies” and came up with “muslin girls.” A funny holiday has been established in honor of these mysterious persons. December 7th is the Day of Kisel Maidens. In the fairy tales “Three Kingdoms - Copper, Silver and Gold” and “Geese-Swans” there is a mention of a mysterious kingdom and an unusual jelly river, a symbol of a carefree and free life, material wealth and well-being. Similar images are found in the folklore of other peoples. The Polynesians have rivers made of coconut oil in their fairy tales, and the French have wine. A symbol of satiety and prosperity in Italian oral folk art is a mountain of Parmesan cheese, in the English - a tree with pies growing on it. It is no coincidence that the heroine of the Russian fairy tale Alyonushka, in search of her brother Ivanushka, turns to the milk river with jelly banks for help. Our ancestors have long eaten a hearty gelatinous dish with a dense consistency, prepared from oats, rye, bran or fruits with berries. In terms of nutritional value, jelly was not inferior to porridge and compotes. In the old days, this dish was eaten with a spoon, not drunk. In the 17th century this dish was prepared by master jelly makers for sale from large barrels at fairs. The fruit and berry drink began to be made at the beginning of the 19th century, when potato starch appeared. Since that time, jelly has become the main dish of the sweet table. To prepare it, there was no need to ferment the main ingredients and keep them for several days, as was done with oats or peas, changing the soaking water many times. The complex process of preparing food is reflected in the saying “The seventh water is jelly.” A low-calorie dessert with a fruit or berry flavor is in no way inferior to juices and fruit drinks in terms of the content of nutrients. Today, jelly is prepared both with and without starch, adding pectin to give the dish viscousness and thickness. This healthy and tasty drink is brewed at home by housewives who honor the traditions of national Russian cuisine. The festive Day of Kisel Maidens encourages competition in the preparation of this once very popular dessert.