A material is provided to give food products sufficient viscosity and stability (heat resistance, stable suspension, etc.). The material is produced from an inexpensive raw material by an economical process. Further, a novel gel containing cellulose as the main component is also provided. The present invention provides a fine fibrous water-dispersible cellulose derived from plant cell walls. For the production, a raw material having specific properties is used, and size reduction is carried out stepwise thereto. The water-dispersible cellulose can also be made into a dry composition by compounding with a water-soluble polymer or the like. This dry composition forms a gel when combined with a polysaccharide such as glucomannan or the like. The gel excels in heat-resistance and shape-retention and can be used to produce to novel food products.