Box of Surprises

Move over, truffle chocolates. This year it’s baklava from Turkey and pavlova from New Zealand.

It’s that time of the year again. The season of shorter days, when the light falls quickly and pretty boxes arrive wrapped in shiny ribbons, plump with goodies. Autumn in India means the start of the festive times, the sweet season as we see it. So we decided to take a walk down Sweet Street, to indulge ourselves a little bit yes, but really, to preview the fare on offer this year. And we come across some of the usual suspects—the gleaming, dark chocolates, iced to perfection and packed snugly in seductive boxes, and the traditional mithai, fragrant with desi ghee and shimmering with varq.

But these old favourites notwithstanding, there’s more on the goody counter this year. Jazzier, sexier and definitely more exotic. Rich flaky baklava from Turkey, sinful pavlova from New Zealand and saccharine- sweet dates from the banks of the Jordan River are all set to add a new touch to your festive gifting this year.

The move from the traditional to the exotic happened about five years ago when labels like Fantasie in Mumbai made gifting chocolates during Diwali and Christmas fashionable. Soon, gift hampers started acquiring a distinctly international flavour with cookies, exotic fruits, organic sweets, Japanese iced tea and the works. So now gifting is not just about expressing your love for your near and dear ones but also about flaunting your cosmopolitan taste. Call it snobbery, if you will, but this was a more sophisticated way of announcing it. Today, the well-travelled Indian wants to tastefully parade the knowledge he has absorbed during his trips around the world. So gifting high-end truffle chocolates is just not good enough any more; there has to be something more exciting. Read exotic.

And baklava, a Turkish delicacy, seems to have caught the fancy of the urbane chic today. Cities like Mumbai and Delhi have seen a spurt in the number of bakeries and cafes selling baklava. Take Oz, a plush eatery in Gurgaon, where one can purchase attractive baklava boxes for Rs 1,000 to 1,400 a kg. The crusty filo pastry filled with warm honey and crunchy dry fruit made here is emerging as the favourite high-end gifting item this year. “We have seen very high demand for the sweetmeat this festive season. The fact that it has a very long shelf life of nearly a month also adds to its many attractions,” says Daman Sodhi, the owner of Oz.

And if you’re not satisfied with just the baklava, then you might try the aromatic almond fingers or the delicate cashew balls. Made with nuts, sugar and saffron, each of these goodies promises an unforgettable sweet experience.

Call it the Bollywood hatke syndrome, but everybody wants a taste of the different. “In a world where everyone is becoming more discerning and wants to create an impression, I think it is a good idea to gift something that is unique,” says Yogender Pal, executive chef at the Claridges, Surajkund, New Delhi.

And what could be more different than a savoury that has travelled all the way from New Zealand to India—the light-as-air pavlova. Created for the famous Russian dancer Anna Pavlova during one of her visits to New Zealand, it’s crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. Sprinkled with ripe berries, juicy peaches and succulent passion fruit, it’s actually a little slice of art. Pick up a handful from Cafe Oz in Khan Market, New Delhi, to make a sweet impression on friends and family.

Both the baklava and pavlova are elaborately crafted delicacies. But if you’re watching what you eat, troop down to Hypercity Mall, Malad, if you happen to be in Mumbai or drop in at the Select Citywalk mall in New Delhi. Chances are, you’ll notice a huge crowd gathered around one particular spot. Go closer and you’ll see it’s the Ayselle kiosk where people are jostling each other to get their fix of Jordan’s legendary dates. These plump, melt-in-the-mouth dates make for great gifts.

“Since these dates are naturally sweet and don’t have any artificial sweeteners, they can be given to diabetes patients as well. They are also good for the digestive system. At a time when people have become so health conscious, these make for the ideal gift,” says Sheikh Sikandar, business head, Delhi. While plain dates will cost you Rs 1,500 per kg, the ones stuffed with almond, cashews and pistachios are slightly more expensive at Rs 1,800 a kg. Ayselle has also tied up with a Turkish firm called Istanbul for baklava. “We offer five to six varieties of baklava, all sourced from Turkey. There is nowhere else where you will get such an authentic form of this delight,” says Sikandar.

But restaurant owners aren’t letting go of the traditional that easily. They believe that in India, be it Diwali, Bhai Duj or Christmas, festivities are just not complete without the customary flavours of kesar, boondi and pista. So, in a bid to combine the traditional with the contemporary, hotel bakeries are coming up with innovative lines of fusion sweets. So there are chikki palmiers, thandai parfaits, coconut lemon truffles, kaju zaffran milk truffles and the kalakand cheesecake that you can pick up at the Gourmet Shoppe in the Oberoi, Mumbai.

“Chefs are now encouraged to create novel delicacies as guests are willing to experiment and break away from the norm. That’s why for Diwali and Christmas, we have infused Valhona chocolates with festive flavours and traditional nuts,” says Joy Bhattacharya, executive chef with the Oberoi Hotels and Resorts.

You could also opt for an assortment of mascarpone cheese elaichi and Peshawar pista in white chocolate shell from Celebrations Fine Confections at Breach Candy, Mumbai. Available for Rs 100 for half a kg, these boxes contain a fine mix of flavours like the subtle lemon curd in dark chocolate shell and a gorgeous blend of jambul honey and chocolate.

Yet another place that is bringing together the Indian and Mediterranean is the Metropolitan Hotel in Delhi. They have come up with a range of Indo-Western sweets that are purely vegetarian. “The base of the sweets is mithai but the icing and presentation is in the style of chocolates. This blend of pastry and mithai is becoming quite popular with people,” says Rajesh Khanna, head, food and beverage operations.

So, go on, take that walk down Sweet Street. Indulge yourself. Show off a little bit. Because it’s that time of the year again.

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