HAPPENING -- 11

CHRISTMAS CAKE MIXING MARKS THE ONSET OF WINTER TOURISM 

BY P S SUNDAR

With less than a month to go for Christmas, winter tourism has started in The Nilgiris and the hospitality sector is gearing up to receive visitors, especially foreigners whose visit will go on till March 2019. 

Ushering in the seasonal mood, tourists joined the executives of Hotel Gem Park in Ooty at the traditional cake mixing ceremony at its tastefully decorated ‘The Toda Cafe’ to welcome Christmas and New Year.   

Executive Chef R Surendran guided these enthusiastic tourists who were donning aprons marked with ‘Merry Christmas’, Chef caps and food-grade gloves and cheerfully echoing ‘Merry Christmas’ all along while mixing the ingredients. 

“The guests enjoyed playing the role of hotel hosts by mixing dry fruits including raisins, black currents, prunes, cashews, pistachios and almonds, glazed dates, cherries, candid orange and lemon rinds, besides freshly ground spices.    They added liberal volumes of liquor, fruit juice and honey”, Surendran said.

The students of Hebron School, Ooty, including some foreigners, enthusiastically participated and admitted to have learnt the tradition associated with this.

“Every year, our guests look forward to this ceremony as Christmas is no fun without cake mixing celebration.  This has to happen a month ahead.  We regularly follow the European tradition of cake mixing dating back to the 17^th century customs hailed to be a harbinger of good tidings in the Christmas celebrations.  For the cold Christmas weather, this cake is a perfect energy food cherished by tourists”, said Gem Park Resident Director Ismail Khan.

 “The cake mixture will soak for several weeks.  We will do periodical stirring.  On December 15, we will begin baking the cake.  By December 20, we will have 120 kg fascinating cake made ready for the Christmas week”, Food and Beverage Manager Pradeep Kumar disclosed.

(Response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)