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Pastila ( ) is a traditional Russian cuisine fruit confectionery ( pâte de fruits). It has been described as "small squares of pressed fruit paste"Vera Broido. Daughter of Revolution: A Russian Girlhood Remembered. Constable, 1998. Page 122. and "light, airy puffs with a delicate apple flavor".Darra Goldstein. A Taste of Russia: A Cookbook of Russian Hospitality. Russian Information Services, 1999. . Page 209. In Imperial Russia, the "small jellied sweetmeats" were served for tea "with a white foamy top, a bit like marshmallow, but tasting of pure fruit". Christmas Around the World. Sutton Publishing, 1998. . Page 31.
The first mentions of pastila in Russian written sources date back to the 16th century.М. Р. Фасмер. Этимологический словарь русского языка. Прогресс, 1964—1973. Пастила (Max Vasmer, Etymological dictionary of the Russian language). Послание Ивана Грозного в Кириллов монастырь , 1573 ( The epistle of Ivan the Terrible to the abbot of the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, 1573). Домострой. глава 66 ( Domostroy, a 16th-century Russian set of household rules. Section 66). The name is probably a loanword from or pastiglia, or from the cognate which in turn comes from (a loaf or pie, cf. pastilla).А. Н. Чудинов. Словарь иностранных слов, вошедших в состав русского языка. 1910. Пастила (A. N. Tchudinov. Dictionary of foreign words adopted to the Russian language. 1910).
In the 19th century, pastila was made from sourish Russian such as Antonovka or mashed Northern berries (lingonberry, rowan, Ribes) sweetened with honey or sugar and lightened with . The paste was baked in the Russian oven for many hours, then arranged in several layers inside an alder box and then left to dry in the same oven.В. В. Похлёбкин. Кулинарный словарь . Центрполиграф, 2002 (William Pokhlyobkin. Culinary Dictionary. Centrpoligraf, 2002).
In Imperial Russia, pastila was considered an expensive treat. Priced at one Ruble and a half, it was produced at noblemen's manors by serf labor. The cheapest pastila was made with honey instead of sugar. The Russian stove afforded two days of steadily diminishing heat to bake the fruit paste. A Tatars variety was strained through a fine sieve, which helped keep apple seeds intact.Леонид Васильевич Беловинский. Энциклопедический словарь российской жизни и истории: XVIII-начало XX в. ОЛМА-ПРЕСС, 2003. . Сласти (Leonid Belovinsky, Encyclopaedic dictionary of Russian life and history: From the 18th to the beginning of the 20th century. OLMA-PRESS, 2003).
In the Soviet cuisine period, pastila was produced using an industrially optimised technology. ГОСТ-6441-96, Изделия кондитерские пастильные, общие технические условия (Interstate Standard 6441-96, former Soviet state technical standard, Pastila type confectionery. General specifications). According to William Pokhlyobkin, this Soviet-style pastila does not depend on the unique properties of the peasant stove and is markedly inferior to its homemade predecessors. It was ultimately eclipsed in popularity by zefir, which is made from similar ingredients but with whipped egg whites and thickening agent.
In the 2010s, traditional pastila is regaining its popularity, with the Kolomna and especially Belyov versions widely available commercially.
In 2008, during the European skating championship in Kolomna, the project "History with flavor" was implemented, which resulted in the revival of the Kolomna pastila production process. The forsaken symbol of Kolomna was regained with the opening of the pastila factory and the museum that followed.
The museum was set up in a historical building in the old part of the city. In the building next to it one can find the factory itself. During the theatrical performance that accompanies excursion, visitors are offered a number of unique sorts of pastila. There is also another museum where tourists can both listen to the story of pastila and buy a box of the dessert.
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