Goa knows how to do Christmas better than any state in India. Carols pour out of every home and store, streets are festooned with lights and no matter where you go, you’re plied with tons of food and drinks until you can’t help but join in the celebrations. The traditional Goan Kuswar is a set of sweets that are usually exchanged between families and friends as good tidings of the season.
They can contain anything from 2 to 22 different sweets and bakes and are synonymous with the spirit of sharing that pervades the season. Every person has their own favourites that they secretly hope will show up on their doorstep and this year 6 Goans from around India are sharing their all-time favourites.
Desiree D’sa, Pune
For me it’s Perad, Guava Cheese. Although it’s available all through the year, having the homemade version at Christmas is something even more exciting somehow. It’s a signal that Christmas has actually begun!
Guava Cheese is a jelly-like sweet made from slow-cooked guava and sugar.
Shawn Pereira, Mumbai
Got to be Marzipan. All the marzipan. Anything sweet is totally my area of expertise, I’ll eat it. But marzipan is only around during Christmas and so you have to make the most of the opportunity while it lasts!
Marzipan is a sweet made with almond or cashew meal and sugar.
Sandra Dias, Delhi
Kulkuls are a staple at our house and it was always a family occasion. We’d get together on weekends and all the kids and older aunties would stand in the kitchen shaping them with forks and chatting. More than the flavour, it’s those memories that are special.
Kulkuls are small bite-sized pieces of dough that are deep-fried
Sophia Rodriguez, Goa
I know it sounds a bit too plain, but I just love the milk creams. They’re so simple but one bite and I’m taken back to my childhood. Christmas seems less magical the older you get, but these remind me of how much I love it.
Goan Milk Creams are a mix of powdered cashews and thickened milk and sugar.
Sean Fargoes, Kolkata
Baath cake. But only the one that my mom makes! There’s something about the texture that is just too good. Regular cakes can’t compare.
Baath Cake is is a moist, rich coconut-based dessert often flavoured with cardamom and currants with a pastry lattice on top.
Anthony D’Souza, Mumbai
Is it too cliched if I say Bebinca? I mean, there’s a reason it’s become the star of Goan desserts, it’s because it’s so good. And warmed up with some ice cream on the side, it’s perfect!
Bebinca is a multilayered baked dessert made with flour, sugar, coconut milk and ghee.