It is a time of joy and celebration. The festive season brings with it a lot of good cheer, including vacation days and warm moments spent with family. But the best part is the food and drinks that make this time of the year so special. The Sunday Guardian has compiled a list of five Christmas drinks and dishes that you should try this holiday season. We also include where to find them.
Learn more about these delicious delights. Galette des Rois – This French specialty is best purchased from the French café chain L’Opera. Kazem Smandari, the executive chairman of this brand, describes a flaky pastry filled with frangipani and a buttery smooth mixture of almond cream, pastry cream, and pastry cream.
Samandari explains the tradition of this dish: “In French tradition, we have the youngest child in the family hide under the table as the Galette is cut into even slices. The child then pronounces the slice that goes to who. It’s the surprise figurine hidden in the cake that makes it so much fun! The person who finds the figurine is crowned King or Queen of the Day and receives the crown that comes with the Galette. The King or the Queen who is named gets to choose his or her King or Queen, and can glow with pride over the next few days. This is a French tradition that celebrates the day when Gaspard, Balthazar, and Melchior paid tribute to Jesus who was born only a few weeks before. Also known as L’Epiphanie.”
Panettone is another delicious Italian product that deserves a mention. Originally an Italian product, it is now popular throughout Europe and beyond. “Panettone can be easily recognized by its dome shape, which is more like a bread rather than a cake. The sweet Dough is adorned with candied fruit and raisins.We are proud to say that L’Opera has created this iconic Italian product at New Delhi for a price much lower than imported versions of the same or inferior quality,” says Samandari.
Want to taste an authentic turkey dish for Christmas? Parra by Khubani offers a delicious Christmas turkey marinated with a blend of aromatic spices and herbs and garlic-infused butter. “This dish is a delicious, tender dish that highlights the savory, rich essence of garlic, combined with a medley of tantalizing spices,” said Sharad Madan, founder of Parra by Khubani.
A turkey is traditionally considered an important part of the Christmas dinner. In the 16th-19th century, it became very popular in English households. It’s the centerpiece of the traditional English Christmas dinner. “Parra by Khubani introduced turkey as our most special dish on the festive menu. Our talented chef creates the perfect marinated butter for Christmas turkey. Madan says, “You must try it!”
What would Christmas be without plumcake? This nutty and fruity cake, with its goodness of almonds, dried cherries, raisins, and other dried fruits, has been long associated with the holiday season. Honey & Dough offers a plum cake that is truly exotic in Delhi-NCR.
The way we make our plum cakes is what makes them special. The more you soak the fruits and nuts in rum, the better it tastes. Honey & Dough’s team says that they drink the fruits in rum for about a year and only use the highest quality nuts. The plum cake is a favorite of many people, but you can also add Nutella or chocolates to give it a delicious twist.
Honey & Dough’s flavors are tantalizing, aromatic, and delicious. While at Honey & Dough, you can also enjoy the traditional Christmas Pudding, which is made up of fruits, currants, and nuts. The pudding is flavored with almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts and pecans. It also contains cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.
“A regular pudding doesn’t require the interaction of many ingredients. The ingredients don’t have to be soaked for long, but the Christmas pudding must be planned as the flavors need time to mature. You can make your own Christmas Pudding at home by mixing dried fruits, peels, and grated fruit with spices. Then, you will need to combine the ingredients using eggs, flour, and breadcrumbs. Then, you should soak the fruits for several hours while covering the pudding as it steams. Steam the mixture until a dark color is visible. Stir it gently.
Hot Chocolate Bomb Hot chocolate is a traditional Christmas treat. This drink’s delicious gooeyness is worth every calorie. Cafe Delhi Heights’ hot chocolate bomb is the best drink you can get. Ashish Singh is the corporate chef at Cafe Delhi Heights. He says that a hot chocolate bomb consists of a thin shell of chocolate filled with hot cocoa and cream.
This special drink can be served as a dessert. “Our hot chocolate bomb is creamy and rich, just the right amount of sweetness, and comforting,” he concludes.