Tamil Nadu

Baked Wonders

Kneading with full strength mounds and mounds of flour, crushed sugar and butter soaked in varieties of alcohol, housewives and cooking enthusiasts herald the season of Christmas. For what is this wonderful festival without a mind-boggling array of pastries, cakes and breads?

As people all over the world celebrate Christmas or join their friends in doing so the tradition of baking has gone through many kinds of innovation. Even then there are some areas of Europe which still try to hold onto customs practiced by their forefathers.

Loaves made in the shape of horns or crescent and pastries in the shape of two crescents, attached back to back, are popular in the region of Lorraine in France. There is another variety of pastry which is long and narrow in form with a crescent at either end. In the early 19th century, unleavened cakes in the shape of oxen or horses were sold.

In the Scandinavian countries, boar-shaped loaves were placed in the centre of the dining table throughout the Christmas season. Succulent pig roast was a favourite item for Christmas Eve and it was washed down with liberal quantities of wine.

Plum-loaves and biscuits, resembling human and animal shape, are popular in Germany. In Turin and in different parts of Italy, the panettone - a loaf that tastes very nearly like a cake without its heavy richness - is eaten without fail. In Eastern Europe, flat and circular cakes with a hole in the middle are gifted to friends. Some people even place a Christmas candle or tree in the centre to emphasize the festive spirit. Flat loaves are popular in Southern Greece also and are aptly named as ‘Christ’s Loaves’.

In Russia, apart from the baked products, a combination of honey, fruits and porridge called koutia is very popular.

Each region of Europe evokes the spirit of Christmas in its special way and each family brings out its recipe books with a deep sense of nostalgia.

Rita Nath Keshari