Emulating the European tradition, Puducherry geared up to welcome the Christmas season with a cake mixing ceremony.
Before the dusk set in, 40 kg of dry fruits and nuts and 10 litres of wine, brandy and rum bottles were arranged on a table facing the sea at The Promenade — A Hidesign Hotel, on Monday.
The hotel guests who had arrived from different countries to tour the coastal town gathered around the table.
Caitlin from Sydney was pleasantly surprised to be part of the cake mixing ceremony.
“This is my first visit to Puducherry and I’m happy I came in time for the cake mixing ceremony,” she said.
Dilip Kapur, owner of Promenade Hotel, began the cake mixing ceremony by pouring brandy.
Others joined in by mixing figs, raisins, candied apricots and cherry, orange peel, dates, prunes, cashew nuts, pistachios, pecans, pine nuts, hazelnuts and almonds with liquor.
“The dry fruits and nuts will be soaked in liquor for 45 days before we begin using it to prepare plum cakes. This tradition of cake mixing dates back to 17th Century. In Western Countries, people start soaking the dry fruits and nuts in liquor by end of October in order to preserve it for the cold Christmas season. The rich plum cake is prepared from this which provides the required calories to burn in the cold season,” said Sathish Rajasekaran, Executive Chef, The Promenade Hotel.
After the cake mixing ceremony, the guests were treated with mulled wine. Ravi Kumar Reddy, General Manager, The Promenade Hotel, the spiced mulled wine is served on the Christmas Eve and for Christmas.
They distributed recipe of mulled wine and Christmas plum cake to the guests.
