The Only Christmas Guide To New Market You Need

Nahoum’s may not be of the same quality it once was, but you still have to go there for traditions’ sake. The iconic Kolkata bakery has shelves of Christmas cake lined up. Made with their age-old recipe with dried fruit and nuts, this cake is a staple on any Christmas table. The good news? It lasts at least a few months {if not a year!} if stored properly.

Fudge is another winter classic. Nahoum’s has a traditional chocolate and a caramel fudge. Both very sweet, they’re great to nibble on while sipping on brandy.

For the elaborate Christmas dinner, you can’t skip Kalman’s. Porks and beefs preserved to make  hams, cured meats, cold cuts and more. You’ll find the tiny store on Mirza Ghalib Street {just outside of New Market} opposite St Thomas’ School. You can pre-order your meatloaf or honey-glazed ham for Christmas but the wait is fairly long {they have a huge customer base including some of the hotels of the city!} Warning: if you’re averse to strong smells you may want to avoid going in.

The centre round part of the market gets converted into a Christmas bonanza. When we went, the stalls were still going up so we weren’t able to capture the full magnificence of it, but usually you are able to pick up anything from a Christmas tree {for literally any budget} to packs of Holly for decor. The packs of holly come for just INR 50 for 150 pieces, the little bell decorations are the same price for a pack of twelve.

You’ll get tons of Christmas decorations {most of it is plastic so it’s very reasonable}. Ask for Dorothy’s stall — she’ll give you the best deal as well as the best quality products.

The ‘paper stores’ on Mirza Ghalib Street are wheere you’ll find decorations for the home. Bells, holly leaves and snowflakes that you can hang around the house are the most common {they start at about INR 100 for the smaller pieces and INR 200 for the bigger ones!}. Red, gold, silver — you’ll find something for the house in all the Christmas colurs.

Fun fact: the closer you get to Christmas, the cheaper the stock becomes since the stores are trying to get rid of their supplies before the season ends. You can score a bargain if you buy in bulk.

Just to keep things exciting, right around the market you’ll find little Christmas-sy things {you have to visit to see how seriously the whole market takes Christmas}. Head to crockery lane and score a snowman cake tin for just INR 22. The lane also houses pretty Christmas paper napkins that will look great on your dining table {with reindeer and Christmas tree print}. Even the candle shops stock ‘Christmassy’ candles — reds and greens galore!