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A good dry fruit gift for Jamai Sasthi is a tray of whole kaju, badam and pista with a few soft dates and anjeer, arranged on a plate or in a basket. Unlike sweets, it holds up in the summer heat, and your jamai can take it home and eat it over the weeks after.
The same tray works for the visits around Poila Baisakh. Here is how to put one together.
Jamai Sasthi and Poila Baisakh
Jamai Sasthi is the Bengali custom of honouring the son-in-law. The mother-in-law invites the jamai home, there is a long feast, and he is given gifts. It falls in early summer, when mangoes and other seasonal fruit are on every plate.
Poila Baisakh, the Bengali New Year, comes a little earlier, in April. Families visit each other, and traders open new account books for Haal Khata. In both cases people arrive with something in their hands.
Sweets from the local mishti shop remain the heart of both days, and we would not suggest otherwise. A dry fruit tray is the gift that sits alongside them and lasts longer.
Why dry fruits suit a Kolkata summer
April to June in Kolkata is hot and humid. Chhana sweets need to be eaten within a day or two, and a box handed over in the afternoon is often half-finished by the evening. Dry fruits do not have that problem. A sealed pack of nuts lasts for weeks, and once opened it keeps well in an airtight jar in the fridge.
They also travel. If your jamai lives in Salt Lake or out beyond the city, or flies back to Bangalore the next week, the tray goes with him.
What goes on the tray
- Kaju. Jumbo Cashew is large and whole, and it is the grade that looks best on a gift plate. Our guide on kaju grades explains what the size costs.
- Badam. Mamra Badam Jumbo is the premium almond for a gift; regular badam works well for a smaller budget.
- Pista. Roasted Pistachio is ready to eat and adds green to the tray.
- Dates. Medjool Dates are large and soft, and look generous on a plate.
- Anjeer. Jumbo Anjeer finishes the tray.
Three trays at three budgets
| Tray | What goes in | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Simple | 250 g kaju, 250 g badam, 250 g kishmish | Poila Baisakh visits to several homes |
| Generous | 250 g jumbo kaju, 250 g badam, 250 g roasted pista, 250 g anjeer | Jamai Sasthi for a close family |
| Grand | 500 g jumbo kaju, 250 g Mamra badam, 250 g roasted pista, 250 g anjeer, 500 g Medjool dates | When the tray is the main gift |
At the time of writing, kaju runs around at today's shop rate a kilo depending on grade, badam around at today's shop rate Mamra badam at today's shop rate and pista around at today's shop rate. You can check today’s dry fruit prices in Kolkata before you settle on a tray.
Putting the tray together
- Pick a brass or steel plate, a cane basket or a plain box from the local market.
- Pour each dry fruit into its own small bowl or section, so they do not mix.
- Put the kaju and pista, the palest and greenest, at the front where they are seen first.
- Wrap the tray in cellophane and tie it with a ribbon.
- Keep the unopened packs in the fridge until the day, and fill the tray that morning.
If you are visiting many homes on Poila Baisakh, it is simpler to hand over sealed packs in a cloth bag. They stay fresh in the heat and nobody has to decant them.
Order ahead
Delivery to Kolkata from our counter in Rajasthan usually takes 4–6 days, so order a week or more before the day. A generous tray easily clears ₹1,000, our minimum order, and delivery is free. Browse the full nuts shelf for other grades.
Questions people ask
What can I gift my son-in-law on Jamai Sasthi?
A tray of whole kaju, badam, pista, dates and anjeer makes a good gift alongside the feast. It keeps well in the summer heat.
Are dry fruits a good Poila Baisakh gift?
Yes. Sealed packs keep in the April heat and are easy to carry to several homes.
How should I keep dry fruits fresh in Kolkata’s summer?
Keep packs sealed, and once opened, store them in an airtight jar in the fridge.
Do you sell dry fruit gift boxes?
No. We sell dry fruit packs, and you can arrange them on a tray or in a box of your own.
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Written at our counter, where these questions get asked every week.
