If
you are planning a trip to Goa, get ready to be greeted by an array of
exotic and spicy dishes of the state. Fish, rice and feni are the three main
items that you can savour in Goa, but this is not all, the state offers much
more to eat and drink.
For the people of Goa, food is not just a source of nourishment, in fact it
is a form of art. Goan are very particular about enjoying their cuisine, for
them the food should not just taste good, rather, it should also smell good
and look good. In other words, the food has to satisfy more than just
satisfying the taste buds.
In the past, the region has been ruled by the Portuguese, Hindu and Muslim,
so you will find their cultural influence in the cuisine of Goa. Although
the Muslim influence has waned over the years, Hindu and Portuguese
influence still dominate.
Usually, the cuisine of Goa is much like anywhere else in India, but there
are number of local specialties also like Xacuti, Prawn Balchao and sweets
like Bebinca, Dodol and Doce that you will relish to the last morsel. If you
like non-vegetarian dishes, Goa offers a variety of pork specialties like
the Pork Vindaloo, Goan sausage Chourisoo and the pig's liver dish known as
Sorpotel.
Seafood of all types is of course, plentiful and fresh in Goa. In fact, you
will find sea food in one form or the other. Some of the popular sea foods
which you can taste here are Prawns, Ladyfish, Mussles, Lobsters and
Oysters. Any visit to Goa is a tempting experience, perhaps unmatched. Apart
from its fine aroma, the variable influences from different continents on
its cuisine, make Goa a food-lovers delight in every season.
Monsoon Food
In June, the monsoon come to Goa and remains for the next three months. If
you are visiting Goa in the monsoon, you will get by way of fish Prawn
Balchao and dried Bombay Duck. During monsoon, a vast range of dishes come
out to combat the seafood drought. Khatkhate, seasoned with dry prawns,
Alsande a curry of black-eyed peas, or Chowli, cooked with jackfruit seeds,
will attract you with their exhilarating fragrance. But the best dish of the
monsoon season is the Souraca, a mixture of coconut milk, onions, chillies,
garlic, tamarind and spices.
Parts of Pig as Dishes
Pigs
are never safe in Goa, because this versatile animal is used for preparing
several dishes. Almost every part of pig is a different dish in itself,
their bellies are used to prepare Vindaloos and Pork Assado, their tripe go
into the Tripas and their bones into Aad Maas. Apart from these, other
organs and fat are rubbed with spices, filled into pig guts and hung out in
the bright sun to dry to make the popular Goan Sausage.
Sea Food
Christmas- New Year is the ideal time for you to taste the best seafood in
Goa. Solantulem is made from Baby Sharks and the Ambot-tik is prepared with
petals of tart Komum Solam. Fried Xinanio or Oysters are the speciality of
the season. Less seasonal seafood are the Bangada, Pomfret and Isvonn or
Kingfish. In addition, the red Nisteachi Codi, come into the range of fish
curries. Cawpra, made with teesria in their shells and Zawb, or mussel curry
are must-try items for you.
Sweets
While you are in Goa, a wide array of sweets and flavours will raise you
from an afternoon's rest. Goan sweets, offer European extravagance along
with the simplicity of Konkan cooking. Desserts are kept in simple Konkan
style, like the steamed Modak of Ganapatipule and the mango-pulp Ambavadi of
Vengurla. Most of the Goa's popular cakes, including th rich Bebinca, are
prepared with the basic ingredients of rich flour, coconut milk, palm
jaggery, eggs and semolina.
Some Popular Dishes
Pork Vindaloo : Pork Vindaloo is a concoction of wine and
garlic. To prepare this dish, pork is seasoned with vinegar and garlic.
Originally Pork Vindaloo is a stew, but vinegar and local spices provide a
distinctive taste to the dish.
Sorpotel : A non- vegetarian dish, Sorpotel is prepared by
cooking boneless pork with toddy vinegar. Apart from vinegar, spices like
cumin seed, red and green chillies, cinnamon, clove, garlic, ginger and
pepper are also used to prepare Sorpotel.
Chicken Xacuti : If you love a spicy dish, Chicken Xacuti
is for you. Chicken Xacuti is prepared by the use of spices like ginger, red
and green chillies, nutmeg, coriander leaves, cloves and tamarind.
