Flavours of Goa

Goa is not only a state but also a state of mind, where the ethereal natural beauty is amalgamated with hedonism reflected through fun, frolic and great food, to create a great experience for tourists and travellers. However, visiting Goa without having a taste of the authentic Goan cuisine can make your travels to this state an incomplete one.

Like many other communities across the globe, Goans too like to prepare different food for different occasions and seasons. Since Goa is located on the west coast of India, along the shore of the Arabian Sea, Goan cuisine is dominated by spices and flavours. The staple food of Goa is Rice and Fish Curry. Most of the dishes incorporate coconuts, rice, fish, pork, meat and local spices like kokum. The cuisine of Goa is mostly dominated by seafood which includes Shark, Tuna, Pomfret, and Mackerel Fish.

Varied Influences

Goa was a Portuguese colony prior to 1961, and hence, the Portuguese influenced most of their food. And like many great cuisines, Goan food also got influenced from tastes from many quarters, which include influences from Arabian, Konkan, Malaysian, Malabar, French, Brazilian, African and Chinese cuisines. Goa, Daman, Kerala, Mangalore, Macau, Portugal, Brazil and Sri Lanka have many dishes common to them.

The Portuguese influence on Goan food is very much well-known. Goan curries are very famous, but it has Malaysian influence for even they make curries from coconut juice. There is also an influence of Arab gastronomy, behind which there are three theories. It could be because of the Portuguese as Portugal was once ruled by Arabs called Moors. Also, Arab traders used to stay in Goan cities. The last theory is that Muslim rulers, who controlled different parts of the country, spread their influence into the Goan kitchen. The influence is seen by way of use of almonds, marzipan and even the sweet dishes like kheer & payasam.