Cuisine in Goa

About Goa Cuisine

The cuisine of Goa has an influence of numerous cultures that it came into contact with over the centuries like Portuguese, Arab, Brazilian, African, French, Konkan, Malabar, Malaysian and Chinese. The three major communities in the state, Christian, Hindu, and Muslim also contribute largely in making the cuisine of Goa diverse. However, the influence of Portuguese is more prominent in the food of Goa.

The food of Goan Christians and Goan Hindus are also different from each other. Christian Goan cuisine see an influence from Portuguese, Konkani, British, Saraswat and South Indian cuisines. They have four important elements: sweetness, sourness, spice and salt. Hindu Goan cuisine also has these four elements, but their dishes are quite different from the Goan Christians.

Important Ingredients of Goan Cuisine

Coconut milk, rice, fish, along with local spices are the basic ingredients of the cuisine of Goa. Other main ingredients used in Goan cuisine are tamarind, kokum, red Goan chillies and cashews.

A wide variety of seafood such as prawns, pomfret, crabs, lobsters, ladyfish, mussels, oysters and clams are used for making soups, pickles and curries.

Popular Dishes of Goa

A lot of meat dishes are an important part of the lifestyle of the people of Goa. Meats like beef, pork, chicken as well as fish are staples of the Goa Christian community.

• Fish Recheado
• Fish Caldeirada
• Fish Caldeen
• Prawn Balchao
• Pork Assad
• Caldo verda
• Bebinca
• Sorpotel