Estonian Dessert

As a child, I loved Roosa Manna as a special treat even though I never knew what it consisted of. Apparently all I cared about, was its soft, fluffy, pink goodness I gobbled down with cold milk. Such a delicious memory of mine!

Translation:

Roosa = pink

Manna = Biblical, food provided to the Israelites in the wilderness

It’s no wonder I was confused as a kid!

The Recipe

From an adult perspective, Roosa Manna is not difficult nor mysterious at all. It has a few simple ingredients which only takes minutes to make. The base ingredient turned out to be cream of wheat!

Bringing the juices and sugar to a boil.

Ingredients:

  • If using concentrated juice: 1 c concentrated juice with 4 c water
  • Or if using juice & water which is pre-mixed: 1 quart prepared liquid
  • 3/4 c cream of wheat
  • up to 1/2 c sugar

Directions:

  1. Place 1 quart of liquid juice and sugar into a small pot. Bring to a slow boil.
  2. Add 3/4 cup cream of wheat quickly to the liquid. Be sure to stir constantly to avoid clumping.
  3. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes while stirring. Taste and adjust sweetness to your preference.
  4. After the 15 minutes, the cream of wheat should have thickened. Pour the cream of wheat into a large bowl and let cool.
  5. Once cool, whisk the cream of wheat until it becomes fluffy and a couple of shades lighter.
  6. Serve in a small bowl with milk.

Past & Present

My mom and grandmother used to make Roosa Manna with the juice of freshly picked red currants from our backyard. They placed crushed currants into a hanging cheesecloth tied to our kitchen cupboard. This allowed the natural berry juice to flow out of and be caught in a pot below. This pure and very concentrated juice was therefore diluted with water and sweetened with sugar before mixed into Roosa Manna preparations.

Well, I have to say I took a shortcut. I use prepared store bought juice. To keep the sour taste, I chose cranberry juice and combined it with pure tart cherry juice. This combination was way too sour for my daughter, but I thought it was a winning combination! Since these juices were already diluted with water, I used a quart of juice for the recipe. Experimenting with different juices and ratios can all be done to suit your own personal taste.

Left: After 15 min simmer, Middle Photo: cooled & whisking, Right: Ready to serve!

I hope you make memories of your own & enjoy Roosa Manna as I did!