Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Friday Review | Cinema Plus | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

THE RELUCTANT GOURMET

GOOEY GOODNESS Have yourself a merry little Christmas

Springing up all over Europe at this time, German markets are adored for their bonhomie, good cheer, good food and — most importantly — great mulled wine. The Edinburgh market alone sold a whopping 15,000 mugs last year. Served in a chipped coffee mug, fragrant with the spicy aromas of cinnamon, cloves and ginger, it’s made with a century-old recipe, gently warmed with spices, brandy and honey.

Christmas traditions vary vastly from country to country. New Zealander Chef Willi Wilson, from The Park, talks of Christmas hams, studded with cloves and basted with honey, pineapple juice and brown sugar. Then there’s turkey, traditional in both England and America, stuffed with minced chicken, bread, eggs, herbs and spices, and served with roasted vegetables. The French, he says, tend to eat lamb, for Christmas. And the Dutch eat duck at Julefrokost, their Christmas lunch, along with their traditional dark rye bread.

When it comes to desserts, everyone seems to go with a mix of brandy-soaked fruits and spice, probably because they’re heavy and warming, perfect for winter. In London, carolling is accompanied by freshly baked mince pies, stuffed with brandy-soaked currants, ginger, almond, lemon rind and nuts, and served with a luxurious dollop of cream. The Germans have ‘stollen,’ a heavy, beadlike cake made with dried fruit, almond, cardamom and cinnamon, and then dusted with icing sugar.

My sister, currently in Aarhus, Denmark, talks of warm, sweet, spiced wine called glogg, made with cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, orange and lemon peel, raisin and almond slivers, and served with “tiny ginger-flavoured cookies the size of buttons,” and aebleskiver, a Danish pancake, which she claims is like “a panniaram eaten with powdered sugar and raspberry jam.” Even the coffee chain Starbucks gets into the mood introducing a spicy ‘Christmas blend’ coffee to eat with “holiday foods such as ginger bread,” besides speciality coffees like Gingerbread latte, Eggnog latte and Cinnamon latte.

In India, the brandy-soaked fruit tradition continues with Christmas cakes and puddings. At homes with a tradition of baking fruitcakes, fruits and nuts, which have been soaking in rum, or brandy, for a month are now being stirred into the signature Christmas cake batter, darkened with caramelised sugar. The Park, in fact, started soaking its fruits three months ago with a mix of dark and light beer, and spirits such as vodka, brandy and whisky.

Chef Willi says that although Christmas cakes are largely similar across the world, every home tends to follow a recipe that has been passed down for generations. Some use spices, some use lemon and orange rind, almond paste and the alcohol poured in differs. Researching hosts of recipes, I discovered some quirky ideas, including one writer who advocated adding “one wineglass each of rosewater, honey and brandy” as well as pumpkin preserve and curd.

Marien (9884800623) who’s from the Catholic community of East Indians, caters for Christmas along with her daughter Priyanka who bakes the cakes. “We’re doing decorated cakes, nankattai, chocolate fudge and marzipan,” she states, adding that they also do some uniquely East Indian dishes for their personal celebrations. “Also milk cream, which is a sweet and kal kal, made with maida and eggs, deep fried and dusted with powdered sugar.” Christmas lunch for them includes a chicken stuffed with beans, carrots, bacon and croutons.

No matter how globalised food becomes, festivals seem to bring out the traditionalists in everyone. “Maybe the whole rigmarole with Christmas has changed,” says Chef Willi. With globalisation and families becoming increasingly nuclear, it’s not always possible to have the big family get-togethers that always characterised Christmas. “Presents under the tree, midnight mass, turkey carving at home… all those rules have relaxed,” he says thoughtfully, adding, however, that Christmas is still about sharing, family and friends.

And of course, the traditional food you grew up with, essential for both the stomach and the soul this season.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail