Did you know that the first Christmas cake in India was made in a Kerala bakery? From carnivals to midnight mass, the coastal state comes alive for Christmas. Here's a guide to what not to miss
A church in Kerala lit up for Christmasprasanthdaskkm/Shutterstock
Christmas is a big deal in Kerala, where preparations for traditional Christmas wine and maturing dry fruits and nuts for plum cakes begin weeks in advance. Houses are decked out with lights and Christmas trees. Carol singing takes place in clubs and churches. Elaborate scenes of Nativity can be seen outside the churches, which are lit up with bright lights. Street decorations and beach competitions add to the joyous celebrations. TheChristmas liturgy is held in churches, where models represent the life of Jesus Christ.
The Food
Christmas in Kerala entails elaborate feasts of traditional dishes such as Neyyappam, Kappa biryani, and stew, delicious seafood dishes accompanied by homemade wine and, of course, plum cake. A popular dish is Kallappam, made with fermented toddy along with coconut milk and chicken stew. Other dishes on the menu are Kerala Puttu and Meen Mappas and Kuttanadan Duck Roast with palappam. Wrap up the meal with homemade naadan munthiri wine.
The Tradition Of Christmas Cakes
You must hit up Thalassery, the port city on the Malabar Coast, where, according to food lore, the first Christmas cake in India was created in 1883. This is when a British merchant asked a local baker, Mambally Bapu, to make him something similar to the rich plum cake he had in England. Bapu's descendants still run the town's name-brand bakery.
The bakery of Mambally Bapu still continues to make delectable cakes for Christmas@mamballys_bakery/Instagram
Mattancherry Spice Trail
Kerala has several other variations of Christmas cakes, from plum to fruit and rum ones. Pick up homemade plum cakes from pop-ups and local bakeries. Recipes are often closely guarded and passed through generations. The vibrant spice town of Mattancherry is known for a special variety of mature plum cake that is legendary.
Jew Street MattancherryRanjithsiji/WikiCommons
Located less than 10 km from the heart of Kochi, Mattancherry was once a famed spice hub in the 20th century. Pick up a Mattancherry spice mature plum cake at Pandhal Cake Shop. The cake is indeed very special as, their website says, it is“infused with honey-soaked fruits and left to mature for months, baked to a rich brown colour and then sealed to lock in the moisture, flavour and fragrance.“
Dancers at a parade on Christmas in KochiSanthosh Varghese/Shutterstock
The Carnival In Kochi
The Chinese fishing nets, Jewish synagogues, Portuguese churches, Dutch palaces and village greens make Kochi special. Come December, the place has a festive year as Christmas approaches. Basilicas and churches like St Francis Church are lit up for Christmas. This is also the time for the Kochi Carnival, a ten-day celebration of costumes and parades which starts from December 25 and culminates on New Year's.
Christmas Papa decorations in Kochi, KeralaPaulose NK/Shutterstock
The Keralite Santa Claus
Kerala has its own Father Christmas, known as 'Christmas Appooppan' or 'Christmas Father'. He is also known as 'Pappani'. During New Year's Eve, an enormous effigy of Pappani is burnt at the Fort Kochi beach.
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