| Zefír | |
| Alternate Name: | Zephyr, zephir |
| Course: | Confectionery |
| Type: | Meringue |
| Served: | Room temperature |
| Main Ingredient: | fruit purée, egg whites, sugar |
| Variations: | Food coloring, filling |
| Serving Size: | 100 g |
| Calories: | 329 |
| Protein: | 0.7 |
| Fat: | 0.1 |
| Carbohydrate: | 81.5 |
| Glycemic Index: | 65 |
| Similar Dish: | Krembo |
Zefir (Russian: зефир in Russian pronounced as /zʲɪˈfʲir/, Ukrainian: зефір in Ukrainian pronounced as /zeˈfʲir/, Lithuanian: zefyras, may also be spelled zephyr or zephir) is a type of soft confectionery made by whipping fruit and berry purée (mostly apple puree) with sugar and egg whites with subsequent addition of a gelling agent like pectin, carrageenan, agar, or gelatine.[1] It is produced in the countries of the former Soviet Union.[2] The name given after the Greek god of the light west wind Zephyr symbolizes its delicate airy consistency.[3]
Zefir is derived from the traditional Russian[4] pastila confectionery, but with added egg white foam and a gelling agent.[5] An addition of unwhipped egg whites to the recipe originated in the town of Kolomna sometime during the 15th century,[6] and in the 19th century the zefir dessert most likely emerged in its modern form with whipped egg whites due to a French adaptation on the recipe that was later brought back to Russia.[7]
The form typically resembles traditional meringue.[8] However, in contrast to commercial-grade meringue, zefir is never crispy. In contrast to most chocolate-coated marshmallow-like confectioneries, zefirs normally come without layers of cookies/biscuits included.
Zefir is usually milky white, but also comes in rose-colored varieties for flavors containing berries and cherries, or may be colored green if it is flavored with apples. Zefir are also commonly sold with a thin, chocolate outer shell, and on occasion, contain berry-flavored jam on the inside.
Zefir is comparable in its consistency to marshmallows or krembo.[9]
Zefir is traditionally made with a purée base, with sugar and egg whites being added before refrigeration. The mixture is subsequently combined with a heated thickening agent (such as agar or pectin), and then whisked (or in modern times, mixed with an electric mixture), until it is of a tacky consistency that can form peaks. It is then piped out of a starred tip and left to dry out. Although the outside will become more firm with a dry consistency, the inside will remain fluffy and sticky.