The Tale of Goan Cuisine that Amalgamates Various Cultures to Form a Unique Flavour of Indian Gastronomy!

India is a land of dynasties, diversities, and discoveries but most importantly a land of delicacies. Every state, every city, in fact, every geography represents a different yet equally delicious plate that sums up every “D” mentioned above. Where some cuisines tickle your taste buds with their tangy touch, some add spice to your tongue with their piquant taste and some just give an explosion of flavours in your mouth. Just like this diverse flavour, the stories and the process of preparing these cuisines are different and one of the cuisines that ticks all the boxes is the Goan cuisine. This cuisine has evolved over time, with inspiration from various cultures to form a unique representation in its own sense. Whether it's the touch of Portuguese techniques, or the use of Konkani spices, Goan food is truly an amalgamation of varied cultures and cuisines. Today, as Goa celebrates the State’s Liberation Day, we uncover one of its strongest pillars - food, with stories and narrations from food historians, chefs, and culinary and hospitality experts. 

History 

Goa has had a rich history with various cultural influences, from Dutch to Portugues, to British and of course the locals. “The state has seen Portuguese, British, Dutch, a little influence from the colonies like Mozambique, Africa, Brazil, Macao along with the aboriginals and natives - Gauda’s, Dhangar’s and Kunbi’s and every community has inspired the cuisine of Goa,” says Chef Avinash, owner of Cavatina and Table in the Hills. Every community and every sect gave a separate inclusion that is widely accepted by everyone in the state. 

But every dish, every community has their story which is beautifully weaved by food historian and author Odette Mascarenhas in her book “The Culinary Odyssey Of Goa.” Through her 7 years of research understanding the nuances of every dish, the stories behind them and the community that might have brought that dish to the kitchens of Goa, Odette has divided the influence of Goan cuisine into 5 different categories. “I believe the Goan cuisine is inspired by a lot of cultures but it mainly comprises of 5 communities; the Gaud Saraswat, the Hindu Centric - which includes artisans, workers, kumbhars, the Muslims, the Portuguese, and the Catholics.” 

The Gaud community from the above is one of the most predominant communities in the state which mainly relies on seafood, coconut, use of tamarind and kokum in their preparation. This community is so true to its roots that it passes on the recipes only to the next generation. Shubhra Shankhwalker, who runs a venture called “Aai’s” - meaning “mother” in Marathi, belongs to the community. Through her farm kitchen, she tries to promote the Gaud Saraswat Cuisine. “I host sit-down meals of Gaud Saraswat cuisine at my farm in Camurlim as a way of celebrating the age-old traditions and exquisite flavours and preserving Goa's culinary heritage,” says the home cook and graphic designer. The recipes that she cooks are all passed down by her mother-in-law and her mother which have a traceable history of over 250 years. They form a huge part in shaping Goa’s gastronomical heritage with some forgotten dishes like “Kaazwachi Shaak” - a curry made with cashew fruit and not seeds or “Ambadyachi Karam” - Hog Plum Chutney. 

Similarly, other communities have a particular form and ingredients for cooking. “Where Kharvi’s - a local community thrive in fish and sea products, the Catholics use meat to make sharp and tangier dishes and Hindus again thrive on seafood but the dishes are made in a mellow form,” says Avinash. Aligning with the concept of various communities, Crescy Baptista and Oliver Fernandes, who run a restaurant in Margao called The Goan Kitchen (TGK), try to represent every forgotten dish in their restaurant. Oliver says, “Goa has adopted various forms of cooking through various cultures but somehow they are all forgotten. If you want to find the bygone dishes, you have to go to the Goan households.” Traditional recipes that you will hardly get at any commercial place are given a platform at TGK. The dishes only prepared by the community cooks include Apa De Camarão - a sort of prawn pie, Merenda or Mandos -  a popular traditional tea-time snack prepared with Goa parboiled rice, coconut, palm jaggery and salt and Atol - another sweet which is popular in the household but are not commercialised find their spot in our menu. 

Most of these dishes are a part of the Portuguese catalogue given to Goa but of the places of Goa which were not occupied by the Portuguese are Pernem, Satari, Bicholim and Canacona and the communities of different wadas like the kumbhars, (potters), artisans are the second category named “Hindu Centric” according to Odette. These communities provided dishes like Xacuti which is one of the most revered dishes of Goan gastronomy. Both Chef Avinash and Odette share a similar story as to how this dish came into the picture. It is believed to have been made by the workmen or the peasants in the first place. To my shock, the story shared by both experts was so similar even though their interviews were taken separately showing much similarity between the knowledge and the depth of Goan cuisine at the same time. It goes like this, “the peasants after long working hours needed some rest so they prepared Xacuti which is called Shagoti across North Goa and Xacuti across South Goa spicey so that they could sweat and when the breeze hit their sweat it could give them a cooling sensation,” say the experts. Who could have believed a dish could be born with a mere urge to cool oneself down? 

Many such stories, cooking methods, and forms of dishes from many communities spring in the heart of Goa. Ingredients like toddy which is used to make vinegar are extensively used in the preparation of Goan dishes and are mainly used in the state itself and no other place in India except for Kerala. “The Khola chilli is also exclusive to the region, which gives a pungent yet spicey kick to the dishes,” says Avinash. Not to mention, seafood and coconut, also form a large part of the cuisine. Despite the commonness in the ingredients, the dishes prepared across communities are so different in taste in taste and appearance. For instance, the famous Goan curry is commonly known all over the world but very few people know that they are prepared in different styles in different communities. It is known as Mackerel curry, Prawns Hooman, Tarlyache Sukhe, Ambot Tik, Caldin and various other names with some changes in the style and taste in various communities. “Despite all the variations, what binds the Goan cuisine together is the sense of adaptability and mingling with every community while staying true to ours,” says Shubhra. 

Needless to say, the past few years have tarnished the image of originality with the inclusion of fusion techniques and the modernization of dishes. This is one of the reasons why Goan cuisine is lost in the world of famous gastronomies. Oliver thinks, “There’s a need to evangelize goan cuisine to culinary school so that it gets the recognition it deserves, from the state people first and later to the world. With all said and done, this cuisine is one of its kind despite the amalgamation of various cuisines and cultures keeping numerous stories from many known and unknown communities tucked in the coastal beds and houses of Goa.