Influence of Portuguese on Goan Food & Culture, 2017

4 August 2017

Esha Nadkarni

We live in a world where everyone takes their food seriously. In this multicultural world one may want
to cling on to his roots as much as possible and food is one way to do so. Food is a reflection of culture,
traditions, the shared past and heritage. But what really is only yours and not of anyone else? The
coloniser has exerted great influence on their colonies impacting their cuisine as well. This paper
analyses the influence of the coloniser on the cuisine of its colony. The Indian state of Goa is renowned
for its beauty, people and food; but unlike other Indian states Goa was not ruled by the British, but the
Portuguese for four hundred and fifty years. This makes the Goan culture different from the rest of
India. A percentage of Goan still speaks Portuguese at home, live in Portuguese houses and listen to
Portuguese music. A state which has remnants of the coloniser may also be influenced in matters of
food. This paper uses the methodology of culture studies and post-colonial theory to analyse the
influence of the Portuguese on Goan cuisine.

What makes inauthenticity dangerous: An explorative study of ethnic cuisine and tourism

Bipithalal Balakrishnan Nair, Satyajit Sinha, MR Dileep

Tourism (13327461) 68 (4), 2020

This study inspects the dangers of being inauthentic while posing as apostles of authentic, ethnic service
providers in tourism. The concept of authenticity was adopted to understand how the commodification
of cultural features, especially food, of a multiethnic destination influences the realness of traditional
cuisine. The study was conducted in Goa, India, also known as tourist Mecca. The research findings
demonstrate that tourism acts as a dominant player in creating a transfigurative replica of tourist's
expectations. This makes touristified versions of traditional foods, severely influencing the integrity of
regional cuisines. These results are useful in understanding how inauthentic practices challenge the
cultural identity of the destination.
Regional Food Diversity of Traditional Goan Cuisines-A Perspective based on the Database of Indian
Cuisines

V Manikanta, SS Kumara, P Harsha, P Manilal

Information Studies 18 (3), 177, 2012

Indian traditional foods are non-spatially mapped to different states and regions of the country. The
mapping of region-wise Goan cuisines on major food ingredient groups was carried out. An analysis was
made towards exploring the dominant Goan cuisines based on selected major ingredients in the intra-
regional states. The study shows the diverse nature of the origin or existence of cuisine traditions in the
country.

The Impact of Portuguese Culture on Goa

Fátima Da Silva Gracias

Goa and Portugal: Their Cultural Links 7 (1997), 41, 1997

The pre-Portuguese culture of Goa was a product of her long interesting history; the result of being
under the sway of various Muslim and Hindu dynasties. The pre-Portuguese culture of Goa was a fusion
of Jain, Buddhist, Muslim and Hindu influences. It was different from the western culture and in some
ways superseded the culture of the west.

The Portuguese when they conquered Goa from Adilshah of Bijapur, brought along their own culture
which was also a blend of cultures mainly Latin and Moorish. We imbibed some elements of the
Portuguese culture but at, the same time maintained many existing elements of our rich culture. BB
Borkar, Goan poet and writer referring to Goan culture says,''The virility and vitality of this quiet, soft-
mannered and peace loving society's culture were tested and proved beyond doubt when in the
sixteenth century the Portuguese conquerors of Goa tried fanatically to uproot it completely. Though
partially impaired under the onslaught of superior arms and administrative machinery, it not only
outlived it but even absorbed some good and progressive features of their Latin culture''. 1 1 By culture,
we mean human creations that is all that man has made in the form of material goods, all that man has
elaborated in the way of attitudes, beliefs, ideas and judgements, codes, institutions, arts, sciences,
religion and philosophy. The unique Goan identity or non-identity has been in focus in recent years and
has been subject of much discussions.
Food preferences and culture: The influence of nationality and religion among tourists visiting Goa

Nandakumar Mekoth, Albino Roshan Thomson

Tourism Culture & Communication 18 (3), 191-204, 2018

The food preferences of tourists while traveling differ from their normal food preferences. These
preferences are found to vary according to culture. Culture is often identified with nationality to the
extent that many a time we speak of Indian culture, American culture, British culture, etc. Culture is also
many a time identified with religion. In this study an attempt is made to understand the food preference
of tourists visiting Goa while being in Goa as well as while traveling in general. Food preference has been
measured in terms of preference for Goan food, destination food, nonvegetarian food in Goa, and
nonvegetarian food while traveling. The independent variable, culture, has been operationalized in
terms of nationality (Indian vs. international) and religion. Data have been gathered from 234 tourists
visiting Goa by using a structured questionnaire. Results of analysis of data revealed that the preference
for Goan food for tourists visiting Goa is not as high as their general preference for destination food
while traveling. There was no significant difference in preference for nonvegetarian food while being in
Goa compared to the general preference for nonvegetarian food while traveling. The preference for
nonvegetarian food in Goa and the general preference for food of destination when traveling were
found to depend on whether the tourist is Indian or international. The preference for Goan food and the
general preference for nonvegetarian food while traveling were also differing based on Indian or
international origin of tourist. Religion wise analysis revealed that although Christians had the highest
Hindus had the lowest preference for Goan food. Hindus were also found to have significantly lower
preference for destination food and nonvegetarian food. Muslims had the highest preference for
nonvegetarian food in Goa. The article contributes practically in terms of developing menu and targeting
tourists with respect to nature of tourists; Indian or international and religious affiliation. The article
theoretically contributes to existing literature on food preference based on religion and culture.

Goan Cuisine: AConfluence of Cultures, 2018

Goan cuisine is characterized by a liberal use of rice, coconuts, fish, kokum, cashews, spices, and vinegar.
Fish and rice are the staples, supplemented by meat, beans, and vegetables. Pez, a rice porridge
prepared with leftover curries and pickles, is a common mid-morning meal. The most popular fish on the
menu is kingfish, followed by tuna, shark, pomfret, mackerel, and doumer. The Vindaloo is considered to
be a signature Goan dish. Sol Kadhi, an appetizing drink, is well known for its health benefits. Other
popular dishes are fish and meat curries of umpteen variations like Cafreal, Sorpotel, Caldin, Xacuti, and
Balchao. Some distinctive Goan specialities are fish Recheado, fish Caldeirada, pork Assad and Caldo
Verde. Desserts include, Bebinca (layered coconut pudding), Neoreo (fried crisp dumplings), Godshe
(literally ‘sweet rice’, and lentil pudding), and Patoleo (steamed dumplings of rice flour paste and
coconut/jaggery stuffing prepared in turmeric leaves).oan dishes are known to tickle the senses. The
tropical climate of the place inspires spicy and intense flavours. Goa is undoubtedly a haven for sea-food
enthusiasts. Crab, mussels, squid, clams, lobsters, oysters, prawns and shrimps, and fish such as tuna,
mackerel, kingfish, pomfret, and shark fish are steamed in a variety of appetizing ways. Apart from this
fried, dried and salt-cured fish are also relished. Goan cuisine also includes regional specialities like
Chouricos, which are spicy pork sausages inspired by Portuguese culinary traditions. Goan sausages are
well-salted and spiced items of pork. Once made, the sausages’ strings are first dried in the sun and then
smoke-dried on the hearth. They are usually consumed in the monsoon when fish is scarce. They are
usually added to a spicy and tangy curry and served with Pao or rice.While a number of alcoholic
beverages are available in the market, Feni and Port are spirits locally produced in Goa. Goa produces a
range of fine wines that are popular throughout the country. Toddy, the sap from coco palm, is also
fermented to create vinegar. Coco palm Feni and cashew-nut Feni are also used for marination while
cooking.

Poonam binayak, 23 may 2017

Goa’s beaches, nightlife and adventure are the major crowd-pullers, but one more thing that attracts
swarms of tourists to Goa every year is Goan cuisine. As Goa was a Portuguese colony for four centuries,
and also ruled by Muslim and Hindu Kingdoms for brief periods, all of these influences are evident in the
Goan cuisine.

Goa’s beaches, nightlife and adventure are the major crowd-pullers, but one more thing that attracts
swarms of tourists to Goa every year is Goan cuisine. As Goa was a Portuguese colony for four centuries,
and also ruled by Muslim and Hindu Kingdoms for brief periods, all of these influences are evident in the
Goan cuisine.

Goan Cuisine: A Perfect Blend of East and West

Goan cuisine is influenced by numerous cultures that it came into contact with over the centuries:
Portuguese, Arab, Brazilian, African, French, Konkan, Malabar, Malaysian and Chinese. The three main
communities of Goa — Hindus, Muslims and Christians — also contributed to the cuisine. This blending
of native cultures and foreign is reflected in Goan cuisine.

The major foreign influence came from the Portuguese. This started in 1498, when Portuguese explorer
Vasco De Gama came to Goa. The Portuguese started trading with India and brought with them an
assortment of goods, including vegetables and spices like potatoes, chillies, tomatoes, cashew nuts,
passion fruit and more. They also brought pork, beef, bread, vinegar and other meats. The local cuisine
and recipes were transformed, leading to the changing food habits and lifestyle of local Indians. New
dishes were introduced, like pork vindaloo, prawn balchao and pork feijodda.

Goan Hindu and Christian food are distinct from each other. Christian Goan cuisine draws influences
from Portuguese, Konkani, British, Saraswat and South Indian cuisines. Every Goan dish has four
important elements: sweetness, sourness, spice and salt. Hindu Goan cuisine can be quite different from
Christian Goan cuisine, but it still contains these elements, and makes use of tamarind and kokum, while
Christians use vinegar to get a tangy flavour.

Basic Ingredients & Cooking Styles of Goan Cuisine

Rice, coconut milk and fish, along with local spices, are the basic ingredients of Goan cuisine. Other main
ingredients widely used in Goan cuisine are kokum, tamarind, red Goan chillies and cashews. Seafood
such as pomfret, prawns, crabs, lobsters, mussels, ladyfish, oysters and clams are used to make soups,
pickles and curries. Meats like pork, beef and chicken are staples of the Goa Christian community.

Goans tend to love cooking as much as they love eating. Although modern cooking methods have taken
over, many Goan households still make use of traditional cooking methods, like cooking in a clay pot on
a wood fire, using a varn (grinding stone) to grind spices, a dantem (hand-mill) for grinding cereals, and
brass utensils for cooking desserts. Traditional cooking methods provide unique tastes and aromas.
Regardless of the cooking method used, the freshness of spices is fundamental, and is achieved by
pounding the spices with muscle power and patience.

Goan specialties

Goan cuisine is incredibly rich and delicious. Fish curry and rice are the staples of Goan cuisine. The most
common fish on the menu is Kingfish, followed by tuna, shark, pomfret, mackerel and doumer. Pork and
seafood dishes are also prominent. Some specific Goan specialties are fish Recheado, fish Caldeirada,
fish Caldeen, prawn Balchao, pork Assad, caldo verda, bebinca and sorpotel.

Catholic Goan food

Stella Mascarenhas-Keyes, 1977

The Anthropologists’ Cookbook, 207-212, 1977

Goa is a tiny region of 3,700 square km. situated on the west coast of India. After being ruled by a
succession of Hindu dynasties and for a brief period by the Muslims, it was conquered by the Portuguese
in the early 16th century. Colonial domination continued for 450 years until the liberation of Goa in
1961. Approximately a third of the present population are Roman Catholic, the descendants of 16th and
17th century converts, the rest being Hindus. The adoption of Portuguese surnames and Christian first
names, as well as a number of Western practices relating to dress, diet, language and music are not the
result of miscegenation but can be largely attributed to the practice of cultural imperialism by the
Portuguese. The radical changes in Catholic Goan gastronomy relate to the consumption of flesh. In Goa,
fish had always been eaten by all castes, including Brahmins, although generally Brahmins in India are
vegetarian. Following conversion to Catholicism, foods which were formerly designated as ‘bad to
eat’were subsequently given a positive evaluation. Meat became part of the diet of all Catholics,
irrespective of caste. Thus, the former non-meat-eating castes, such as the Brahmins, ate chicken and
goat. Even more significant was that all Catholics, irrespective of caste, included in their diet the
formerly prohibited pork and beef. The killing of a pig used to be a prominent, public event with the
squealing pig being chased through the village until caught, struck dead, trussed up and tied to a long
pole, which was then carried triumphantly to the owner by the slaughterers. Pork is particularly relished
and has been transformed from a taboo food par excellence into a ceremonial one, and it is served on
all ceremonial occasions, such as Christmas, the feast day of the village patron saint, Christenings,
birthdays, weddings etc. The principal ceremonial dish made from pork is sorpotael. It is prepared with
the head, belly, offal and blood of the pig, and cooked with vinegar and a number of spices. Other
preparations are made with pig bones and the belly, and occasionally suckling pig is roasted whole.

You can't be a Goan and not eat Goan food." The Intersection of Gender, Food and Identity: A Case
Study of Goan Women in the Greater Toronto Area

Andrea D'Sylva, 13,04,2010

Food, perhaps because of its association with women's work, has often been overlooked as a signifier of
identity. This qualitative study examined the role of Goan women in Toronto in creating and maintaining
Goan identity through food. Catholic Goan identity, borne from Portuguese colonization, fosters a strong
set of cultural values and is often seen as devoid of unique symbols and markers other than its cuisine.
Food plays a crucial role in Goan identity. The thirteen first-generation Goan women interviewed
maintained that being Goan is inextricably linked to Goan food. They saw their role in foodwork as
having "currency" within the family and community, a role that fosters and supports Goan identity. As a
diasporic and racially marginalized group in Canada, often grouped with other South Asians, these Goan
women lived within a "Goancentric" world that supported and celebrated their Goanness; Goan food
was central to that identity.
Curry: A tale of cooks and conquerors

Lizzie Collingham

Oxford University Press, 2006

Curry serves up a delectable history of Indian cuisine, ranging from the imperial kitchen of the Mughal
invader Babur to the smoky cookhouse of the British Raj. In this fascinating volume, the first
authoritative history of Indian food, Lizzie Collingham reveals that almost every well-known Indian dish
is the product of a long history of invasion and the fusion of different food traditions. We see how, with
the arrival of Portuguese explorers and the Mughal horde, the cooking styles and ingredients of central
Asia, Persia, and Europe came to the subcontinent, where over the next four centuries they mixed with
traditional Indian food to produce the popular cuisine that we know today. Portuguese spice merchants,
for example, introduced vinegar marinades and the British contributed their passion for roast meat.
When these new ingredients were mixed with native spices such as cardamom and black pepper, they
gave birth to such popular dishes as biryani, jalfrezi, and vindaloo. In fact, vindaloo is an adaptation of
the Portuguese dish" carne de vinho e alhos-"-the name" vindaloo" a garbled pronunciation of" vinho e
alhos"--and even" curry" comes from the Portuguese pronunciation of an Indian word. Finally,
Collingham describes how Indian food has spread around the world, from the curry houses of London to
the railway stands of Tokyo, where" karee raisu"(curry rice) is a favorite Japanese comfort food. We
even visit Madras Mahal, the first Kosher Indian restaurant, in Manhattan. Richly spiced with colorful
anecdotes and curious historical facts, and attractively designed with 34 illustrations, 5 maps, and
numerous recipes, Curry is vivid, entertaining, and delicious--a feast for food lovers everywhere.

Classical Dishes, Taste, and Violence

Joel Rodrigues

Gastronomica: The Journal of Food and Culture 21 (4), 35-41, 2021

in august 2020, i was watching an episode from season twelve of ‘‘MasterChef Australia.’’Enjoying the
show in my Guwahati home during mealtime had become a daily routine for my companion and me.
This episode was an elimination episode with two rounds. Round One’s challenge was to cook a classical
dish, selected from a list provided by the show’s producers, in a constrained amount of time.
MasterChef contestants often must cook dishes from global recipes, but this episode triggered
childhood memories for me because on the list was a Goan dish—Beef Vindaloo paired with naan and
rice. Naan is not a traditional pairing for anything Goan, and thankfully no one chose to cook it. But what
got me reflecting on my cultural cuisine was a judge’s instructions to contestants to ‘‘cook one of them
and cook it perfectly. Do not stray from the path of being classic. Do not trick it up. Just make it exactly
how it was intended to be made and make it perfectly.’’Another judge added:‘‘We want the classic
version. We don’t want any tricks. We don’t want any reconstructions. None of that.’’What constitutes a
classic dish? Vindaloo is a dish that integrates colonial and cultural histories of Goa. It has different
versions as you move geographically, and even as you move between households. I grew up eating it,
but I can only be confident about the version that belongs to my mother’s kitchen. My mother’s hands
prepared it. My father’s tongue tempered it. This dish was not just a cultural marker; nor are ‘‘classic
dishes’’always prepared in an atmosphere of loving, familial tradition. In our household, the celebration
of food was also built on exploitation, fear, anxiety, and hurt—where failures to meet my father’s
standards often resulted in domestic violence.

The essential Goa cookbook

Maria Teresa Menezes

Penguin Books India, 2000

The spicy, succulent seafood of Goa is as famous as the golden beaches and lush landscape of this
premier tourist destination of India. Traditionally, the Goan staple was fish curry and rice, but under
Portuguese influence there developed a distinctive cuisine that combined the flavours of Indian and
European cooking with local ingredients being used to approximate the authentic Portuguese taste. So
fish and meat pies were baked with slit green chillies, assado or roast was cooked with cinnamon and
peppercorns, pao or bread was fermented with toddy, and the famous baked bol was made with
coconut and semolina. This innovated, largely non-vegetarian cuisine, was offset by the traditional and
no less sumptuous vegetarian creations from the Konkan coastland, rich with coconut and spice. This
cookbook showcases an entire range of Goan food, with special attention to fish, prawn, pork and
chicken

Ethnic fermented foods and beverages of Goa

Irene Furtado, Sheryanne Velho-Pereira

Ethnic Fermented Foods and Beverages of India: Science History and Culture, 139-155, 2020

The natives, through centuries, followed indigenous traditional processes of food and beverage
preparations which can be viewed under three categories, based on the key ingredients used: (i) plant
saps/juices; (ii) lentil, i.e., urid dal; and (iii) crude solar salt. These processes possibly involve natural
spontaneous uncontrolled fermentations, initiated and sustained by mixed microbial cultures that grow
either simultaneously or succession. These microbial cultures are inherent microflora of coconut palm
sap sur, cashew apple juice nero, lentil urid dal, raw tender mango tor, and fresh mackerel bangde and
additionally the microbes present in Goan crude salt gaunti mith which is added to the processes as
preservative or flavoring. Unknowingly, the indigenous people particularly of Reinder, Kazkar,
Ramponkar, and other communities have been carrying the food and beverage preparations, exploiting
the potential of inherent microflora to produce madda feni, caju feni, salted fish, and other indigenous
foods. In this chapter we have documented the ethnic fermented foods and beverages of Goa.

Food preferences and culture: The influence of nationality and religion among tourists visiting Goa

Nandakumar Mekoth, Albino Roshan Thomson

Tourism Culture & Communication 18 (3), 191-204, 2018

The food preferences of tourists while traveling differ from their normal food preferences. These
preferences are found to vary according to culture. Culture is often identified with nationality to the
extent that many a time we speak of Indian culture, American culture, British culture, etc. Culture is also
many a time identified with religion. In this study an attempt is made to understand the food preference
of tourists visiting Goa while being in Goa as well as while traveling in general. Food preference has been
measured in terms of preference for Goan food, destination food, nonvegetarian food in Goa, and
nonvegetarian food while traveling. The independent variable, culture, has been operationalized in
terms of nationality (Indian vs. international) and religion. Data have been gathered from 234 tourists
visiting Goa by using a structured questionnaire. Results of analysis of data revealed that the preference
for Goan food for tourists visiting Goa is not as high as their general preference for destination food
while traveling. There was no significant difference in preference for nonvegetarian food while being in
Goa compared to the general preference for nonvegetarian food while traveling. The preference for
nonvegetarian food in Goa and the general preference for food of destination when traveling were
found to depend on whether the tourist is Indian or international. The preference for Goan food and the
general preference for nonvegetarian food while traveling were also differing based on Indian or
international origin of tourist. Religion wise analysis revealed that although Christians had the highest
Hindus had the lowest preference for Goan food. Hindus were also found to have significantly lower
preference for destination food and nonvegetarian food. Muslims had the highest preference for
nonvegetarian food in Goa. The article contributes practically in terms of developing menu and targeting
tourists with respect to nature of tourists; Indian or international and religious affiliation. The article
theoretically contributes to existing literature on food preference based on religion and culture.

Microbiota of goan sausages

D'Costa Dilecta, Anusha Parab, D'Cunha Insha, Geetanjali Patil, Velitta Silveira

Journal of Meat Science 14 (1), 50-54, 2019

Goan sausages also called as chouricos are deep red pork sausages which are spicy and possess a
characteristic flavor. They are a desired snack especially with the Goan pao (bread roll) by a large
number of Goans as well as tourists. The proposed study was carried out with the aim to elucidate the
microbial counts with special emphasis on isolation and preliminary characterization of pathogens from
raw sausages (locally and factory made) and cooked sausages. A total of 100 sausage samples were
collected from various places in Goa and were examined for microbial counts and pathogenic species.
The microbial counts included standard plate count, yeast and mold count and coliform count.
Microflora of sausage samples was also studied and a varied microflora including Gram negative short
rods, Gram positive cocci, Gram positive bacilli, Gram positive yeast etc. was observed. A significant
comparison between Standard plate count and Yeast and Mold count was observed. The coliform count
was higher in raw locally made samples as compared to cooked samples, however coliforms were
absent in factory made sausages. Hence, it can be concluded that adequate time and temperature had
not been maintained during cooking; or post cooking contamination might have occurred. Consuming
cooked sausages from road side kiosks could pose a threat of food poisoning.

The Goan Pão: A cultural identity, N Gomes, A Deshmukh, Sahapedia, 2021

Introduced by the priests during the Portuguese rule in Goa, bread had taken on a uniquely Goan
feature with the use of toddy as the leavening agent and the wood-fired mud oven. It is this unique
addition and the variety of bread that makes it a part of culinary heritage, a mix of tangibles and
intangible indigenous knowledge that affirms its place in the cultural map of bread in India. Over the
years, due to a range of socioeconomic factors, traditional bakers have had to modify their way of
bread-making. We are at a tipping point in history where the occupation is at a risk. The purpose of this
study is to trace and document the pão, with its techniques and tools, as in its past and present, to
provide a link for its future and to understand the associated social identity.