Kissel (Кисель)

Kissel is a soup made with cherries or other red fruits (cranberries, bilberries, etc.) that can be served hot or cold. It was traditionally served in the summer when these fruits were in season, however, now it can be made with frozen fruits at any time of year. The soup is fairly easy to make, requiring water and 4 other ingredients. When we made this dish this weekend, we started by adding pitted cherries to a pot of water, then bringing it to a boil. We then set the heat to low, allowing it to simmer for fifteen minutes. Then, we added sugar and lemon juice before allowing it to simmer for a little while longer. Lastly, we dissolved some potato starch in cold water and stirred it to the pot. We served the kissel warm. I found that I was not as big of a fan of cherries as I had once thought and did not particularly care for the dish. However, I acknowledge that this may be purely a result of personal taste or the specific recipe that we used.