GOAN FOOD IS "NOT LIMITED TO FISH AND FENI"

PANJIM: Goan food and drink is not limited to "fish and feni".
There are tonnes of other variants and options that most
visitors, and even locals, are often unaware of, says a new guide
to Goan food and beverages.

Food Stop, a newly-published comprehensive guide to the
traditional food of Goa edited by former Herald journalist
Melanie Sequeira lists some 350 recipes.

Focussing on age-old culinary art of Goa, this guide also offers
an insight into the equipment handed down over generations --
from the adoi (grater-cutter fitted on a wooden platform), to the
budkulo (circular mud pot), chaalan (sieve), and the combo
(earthern water cooler).

Also introduced to those who may not know are kitchen-equipment
like the dovlo (ladle), faatan (flat grinding stone), gainem
(strainer), kadai (deep-bottomed pan), kholboto (small pounder),
kisnem (grater) and similar equipment.

Padma Mahale, author of the cookbook Ishtaan, introduces readers
to a variety of Goan Hindu cuisine. These include fish, clam
(tisreo), dry prawn, pumpkin, raw jackfruit, mushroom and
vegetable recipes.

Sindhu Navelkar offers special Goan recipes for the Ganesh
and Diwali festivals. "Each day of Ganesh Chaturthi is devoted to
the preparation of a particular sweet," she points out.

Guardian Angel Institute of Hotel Management & Catering AMH
Mubarak Ali offers typical Muslim biryani and other recipes.
Joyce Fernandes, better known for her Goan Cookbook offers her
own insights into Goan Christian meals. Guilda Mendonca has a
special chapter on partying.

Cake-making, saurak (plain coconut curry), and even the humble
pez-canji (gruel) are the other old-time recipes included in this
title, which promises to be a "comprehensive guide to anything
and everything about food and drink in Goa".

Says Edwin Saldanha, author of the book Successful Goan Home
Wines: "A random survey in Goa reveals that about 15% of the
literate, mostly Christian middle and upper class housewives, and
a few men too, have been successfully making wines at home."

Saldanha argues that home wine-making is often a closely-guarded
family secret. "There is definitely a great future for large
scale wine-manufacture in Goa, not only for domestic consumption
but even for export," he says and offers some recipes.

Wine-making recipes included in this book include products made
from binda (semi-wild kokum fruit), cashew, carambola, mango,
milk and even the chikoo (sapota).

Sociologists Bernadette Gomes points out that in Goa even some
fruits are believed to have caste or race connotations. For
instance, the bimbli is considered to be Brahmin, the banana a
negro, and some types of chilli are called Portugali.

Decorator John Fernandes of Pomburpa has become well-known for
his coaching classes on vegetable and fruit-carving. "The art of
fruit and vegetable carving is one of the ancient arts of
Thailand. Originally, an exclusive art within the royal palaces,
today it is practised widely," says he.

Goa's big-names -- from the world of politics, industry and other
sectors -- have their own judgements on food in the state.

Minister Aleixo Sequeira says his favourite dish is the humble
fish-curry-rice at Cozinheiro, while MP Eduardo Faleiro lists his
"favourite dish" to be "wild boar xacuti prepared in Goan Hindu
style".

There's a what's were section, offering hints of which shopping
locales offer the best deals in the state. Aldona is the village
to visit for big, fat dry red chillies. Agaciam is the capital of
Goan sausages and sweet potatoes.

Likewise, other villages are known for their own products --
Ambelim (salt-pan fish), Betul (mussles and cockles), Bicholim
(cashewnuts), Britona (fresh river fish), Benaulim and Calangute
(coconuts), Canacona (pineapples), Chorao (crabs), Chopdem
(coconut jaggery) and so on.


NOTE: For further details of the book contact the publishers at
infoline@goa1.dot.net.in