5 lost desserts of Calcutta and the stories behind them

When one says that Calcutta was a melting pot of cultures, one also includes some of the most delicious food and desserts in them. Having been under the influence of the British, Portuguese, French, Dutch, Jews and other communities, Calcutta had seen the ebb and flow of their cuisines as well. What was once the life of diners and eateries waned away with time. Today, these exist in memories and old photographs of people recounting ‘the good old days’ when they spent an evening with friends and family listening to live jazz or pop while slowly satiating themselves with the desserts of their choice.

Colonial Calcutta desserts that deserve to be brought back for ‘an Instagrammable today’

Long before modern café culture, experiential diners, take away, curb-side street food joints and supper clubs took over, heritage diners like Wilson’s , Firpo’s and Peliti’s ruled the food scene. And one thing that guests definitely did not miss in any of these places were the desserts. Many even tried to replicate them at home. While some were closely successfully, some gave up and yet, the exact flavours were never achieved. As development and modernisation took over, these heritage eateries shut down one by one, communities moved away and once loved desserts were lost to a new generation. Today, some of these are revived under ‘lost recipes’, ‘ Anglo-Indian cuisine’ etc. as special menus.

While Plum cake or Christmas Cake is a Christmas constant, the cream-less high on dry fruits and tutti-frutti extravaganza started off slightly different. The Plum / Christmas pudding was famous for being loaded with dry fruits, spices like cinnamon, and doused in spirit for its spongy softness. In fact, it was also flamed on the table before serving. The Plum Pudding was a must-have during the festive occasions and its soft texture made it a crowd favourite. It came to Calcutta around the mid-19th century and stayed on till the 1960s. Thereafter, it was made on special occassions.

When we talk of desserts, breads and all things related to baking, British cuisine comes to mind. However, the arrival of the Portuguese and their passing on the baking tips cannot be undermined either. In this regard, the Pao Doce made with flour, yeast, milk, eggs and butter was one of the most sought after home-made breads. Today, the idea of baking has evolved and bread-making has turned into an art. But one cannot forget where it all started from.

Long before fruit tarts or cakes made with fresh fruits came into existence around the mid 20th century, fruit flans were a big crowd hit. This multi-layered fruit dessert had a sponge cake base with vanilla pastry cream/ cream cheese frosting, and topped with freshly cut fruit slices of strawberries, kiwi, blueberry and more with a final brush of a fruity glaze before serving. The taste would have been similar to creamy fruit cakes today.

Today’s vegetarian and non-vegetarian quiches are a favourite snack when it comes to eating something savoury. But do you know that its ancestor mince pie started off as a dessert around the 1850s Calcutta. In fact by 1857, it was being commerically sold in the markets. A baked pastry tart was filled with spiced mincemeat – sugar, dry fruits, spirit etc. And surprisingly there was no meat involved! These small single serve pop-in-the-mouth tarts were the best snack to have with a hi-tea, evening tea or after meal desserts pairing them with tea, coffee or wine. Some versions of mince pies are still available in traditional diners today.

Once considered lost, Baked Alaska is being revived by some eateries in the city. The traditional Baked Alaska had vanilla ice cream inside or on a layer of sponge cake, covered with meringue and baked or torched to have the brown smoky look on the peaks. A unique combination of hot and warm dessert, Baked Alaska was first introduced to the city through diners in Park Street. Several versions of this dessert, which first came into being in the 1950s- 60s also include putting chopped seasonal fruits on top before serving.

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