THE AMAZING CULTURE OF GOA AND ITS CUISINES...
The scenic view of Goa, the adorable beachside views and the amazing greenery of this place make you feel enthusiastic.People come to this place with smiling faces for spending their vacations and visit their friends. There is a kind of enthusiasm in the air of Goa which itself make you so active and happy but Goa is not only about this, but it's a place where you feel so free..... knowing about the history of this place, about the history of the churches and the overall culture of this place make you feel fantabulous. Most importantly, the cuisines of this place just can be described in one word extremely delicious.
The state of Goa which lies in the south-west of India is a state whose history belongs to the mythologically ancient period of Mahabharata. Today, the state which is known as Goa and is in the group of small states of India is a state about which so much mention in the holy book Mahabharata by the name of
Gomantak. This name is even today also somewhere attached to the identity of this place. When there was a struggle going on with the Portuguese that time also the struggle was known by Gomantak Sangram. Even when the Muslim rulers ruled over Goa that time also this Gomantak word was attached with Goa.
Gomantak - is a word which means a
state of cows. According to Mythologies, it's a state which was emerged from the Arabian sea.
For the settlement of the Hindu brahmana people who came to this place with Lord Parashurama (Lord Parashurama is considered as the incarnation of Lord Vishnu) emerged this place from the Arabian sea by left ten arrows in the sea. There was another myth about this place that when Lord Shiva once had a conflict with his wife Parvati, decided to get away from the world and calm himself in a place which was known as Goapuri.
If we move on in the history of Goa, we can see that there is a great impact of Portuguese and Christians in this place. But as much as the mythologies and Puranas are concerned there was a great majority of Hindu caste people also lived there. Even today also, the
Saraswat brahmana's live here who shows the Hindu caste culture of this place... How Saraswat Brahmanas came to this place is also a very interesting story?
There is a river which is known by the name Saraswati which is also one of the three main holy rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. once, when this river dried up and all the area surrounded by this river badly affected, the people who used to live there migrated from that place to the different part of the country. Some migrated toward Kashmir, some migrated toward Bengal region while some of the other migrated toward the south-west region of India, especially in the state of Goa. So all those migrated people who settled in Goa called themselves Saraswat. Even today also, these people call themselves the one who came to this place from the nearby region of river Saraswati.
A very unique thing which you can only see in the cuisines of Saraswat Brahamana and not in any other sub brahmana caste is the use of
Fish. (Brahmana is a sub-caste Hindu religion which only used to eat vegetarian food and never eat meat or Non -veg food).
According to so many stories, When that river Saraswati dried up, the cultivated area near that river also destroyed due to which the fishes of that river started dying. when the Guru or teacher of those people ordered them to start eating fishes so that not only they can be satisfied their hunger but also prevent themselves from the diseases which might be spread because of the dead bodies of those fishes.
After migration, they even continued to eat fishes. The major benefit for them is as they settled near the sea region, they can easily get fishes and another seafood. There is a dish of Prone which is known as
"Sangati Hooman". This is a cuisine which usually cooked in every Saraswat brahmana family. So this is something where Hooman is concerned, a must in every household.
Consumption of seafood Porne and shellfish is very old and traditional which is especially seen in the Konkan and Goa region. Besides seafood Pornes and fishes in the Saraswat cuisines, the traditional vegetables also used in it. But changes can also be seen in Saraswat brahmana's cuisine, there is very famous dish
Khatkhate is made from six different types of vegetables especially with corns. As the corn reached India after 16th century so this dish added to the Saraswat brahmana cuisine in the very late period.
In the cuisines of Goa, if there is a great impact of Saraswat Brahman's cuisine, there can also be seen a great impact of Portuguese and Catholic cuisines.
In the beginning of 16th century, Goa was under the rule of Hindu and Muslim rulers but in the year 1510 Portugues governor Alfonso de Albuquerque attacked Goa and captured it so from 1510 to 1961 Portuguese ruled over Goa.Even the Christian who lived in Goa also called the part of Portugues.
even today also after 400 years, the impact of Portuguese culture can be seen in the architecture and cuisine of Goa.
The Portugal's cuisines in Goa was not exactly what it was actually in the country of Portugal.When the Portuguese explorer moved from Portugal for the circumnavigation of the globe. Then first they visited Brazil which is in the South American continent where they used to cook the food with Brazilian touch and then they moved to India and China (Macao) so where they cooked their food with Indian and Chinese touch and when they passed by the south-east Asia they cooked their food in that style.
so the cuisine of Portuguese was not exactly which you called authentic Portuguese cuisine but it is actually called creole food. So in Portuguese cuisine, there is some impact of Brazilian cuisine, some impact of south-east cuisine and a touch of Indian cuisine.
Above all, the most significant effect on the Indian cuisine is actually by Portuguese.They are the one who introduced vinegar, potatoes, Red chillies, Cottage cheese (which is known by the name Paneer in India) and some other vegetables in India. There is a dish "
Sorpotel" which is made of pork. This dish reached Goa by the Portuguese sailors who travelled for months to reach India. This may be the reason why this dish cooks few days before it serves like pickles so that the flavour of it enhanced.
The dark red curry dish sorpotel reached India in the beginning of 16th century with the sailors who used to eat this cuisine in their long journies as the vinegar in this food does not addle the meat.
Besides Sorpotel there is another simple dish which is famously known in the whole country, a dish which is made from vinegar or wine is
"Vindaloo". It is a light dish which is basically cooked with wine or vinegar with pork, garlic and with light spices, which was cooked by the Romans after 16th century according to their taste.
A place where the language, religion and standard separate the people is a place where cuisine/ food unite the people. The same is the story of another dish
"Chicken Caferal" or the chicken of refugees.
As we all know that Portuguese came to India by the African route of Mozambique, and so many others African soldiers also came to Goa with them.
One day outside Punjim where today is Mandovi hotel some of those soldiers were grilling chicken and the people around that place so much like the aroma of that chicken. people were so much inclined toward that recipe that is the reason why those people took the recipe from the soldiers.
The people started to cook that recipe in their houses but they were confused to what they called that dish. One of the men said," those soldiers are kaafirs or refugees so why not we called this cuisine
chicken caferal".
It is not only Portuguese who made the impact on our food.Those people also very much affected by our cuisines.There is a traditional authentic bone dish
Chicken Xacuti. This is one of the most famous cuisines of Goa. We pronounce this dish as
chicken za Kuti but write as
Chicken Xacuti. Most of the people got confused from where this xacuti word came from but later people came to know that there was a traditional xacuti dish which was cooked in Goa and Portuguese pronounced it as Zakuti instead of Xacuti.So from that time, this dish is called as
chicken za Kuti.
In Portuguese, there is a very famous idiom which people used to say;
"One who has seen Goa means he has also seen Lisbon(capital of Portugal)"
Somewhere it is correctly said that one who tasted the cuisines of Goa has also tasted the cuisines of Portugal.
When you see the buildings and architectural structure of Goa. it is difficult for you to imagine that you are in India. The Portugal culture affected so much this place that even today also Goa's culture and cuisines are so much influenced by the Portuguese. The Portugal inheritance and the people of Goa who converted their religion to Christianity even today also called as Roman Catholic, who take forward this cultural legacy of Goa. Like Roman Catholics, the cashew nuts also came as a foreigner to this land but today it is an inseparable part of India. When Portugal came to India they took so many food stuff with them which is known as colonial exchange like potato, tomato, chillies etc but very few people know that they also had cashew nut when they came to India. When Vasco da Gama landed over Calicut with their fellow members, they had cashew nuts with them.
Cashew-nuts is actually a Brazilian fruit which Portuguese took with them in the 16th century; The significant thing about cashew nuts is the formation of the unique alcohol
"Feni". This Feni is a special product of Goa which is only produced by the cashew nuts and no other thing is added in it.
Like Kerala and Karnataka, the spices of Goa is also called as the finest and the best quality spices.
Only because of these spices Portuguese came to India, and then after the English, French and dutches also came to India for these spices. Besides spices, there is another thing which is cultivated in Konkan and Goa region, without which the cuisines of this place is incomplete is the dark colour small berries like cockams, which are very sour in taste like tamarind.
In Goa and Maharastra, this cockam is not only used to sour dishes but also used to make jam and sharbat. Cockam is always available in India and even in Ayurvedic books, it is also mentioned as a medicine which helps to cool down body temperature.
The food of Goa, the environment of Goa and a tension free atmosphere make it a suitable place for the people who like calmness. The beautiful sand beaches of Goa which once saw the Arabian and Portuguese ships are the witnesses of the history of this place.
Before Portuguese captured Goa, there was a rule of Delhi sultanate and Adil Shahi on this place. Today, after 500 years, there is a minor impact on Muslim culture can be seen here. Muslim cuisines in Goa is totally different from the cuisines of Saraswat brahmana and Portuguese. Their dishes are basically made of Chicken known as Chicken green curry and rice.
According to Historians, The impact of Muslim culture on Goa started from the 8th century but in 1312 when the rule of Delhi Sultanate started over Goa from that time the Muslim population started increasing in Goa but in the beginning of 16th century when Portuguese ruled over Goa then the impact of Muslims started reducing. The another significant impact of Portuguese culture on Goa is the introduction of European style baking.
It appears like, sometimes the sea is getting wet by the rain, Sand take sun bath by the rays of the sun, The attraction of Goa changes their colour according to the seasons. Like changing season the food history of Goa also changes. Even today also, Saraswat brahmana by their cuisines and culture make it alive the memories of the dried river Saraswati, cashew nuts may be a foreign fruit but today it is an inseparable part of India. Like cashew nuts, the Roman and Catholic cuisines also have their significant place in Goa's life style.
This is the culture and cuisines of Goa.
