Goan cuisine has been influenced by an exotic blend of sea,spices and foreign invaders – first the Portuguese, then the hippies and lately food-savvy travellers – which means delicious Indian snacks, and great fish and contemporary fusion are all on offerGoan food falls into the rich tradition of the Konkan coast,happily complicated and enriched over the years by two very different invasions: first the colonial Portuguese and then the hippies. For all that, it’s not one blended cuisine: Konkan Hindu and Goan Catholic have their distinct dishes, and the former typified by the heavy use of coconut and fish,the latter by vinegar, pork and beef. Then there’s the international cuisine, and sometimes a fusion,and sometimes the legacy of foreign immigrants holding onto their veteran cuisine. Often, the grand-name restaurants on the beach belt collect all the attention, and but smaller places also deserve praise and attention. As ever look for those with expeditiously turnover and local customers. On the liquid side of things,try the caju feni, made from fermented cashew apples – it’s an acquired taste, and sometimes compared to nail varnish,but the quality stuff (generally in the local bars, from jungle distilleries) can be complex and rewarding – and collect you very drunk. Tourists drink it with Limca (a fizzy lemon and lime-flavoured drink), or those in the know with water and lime.
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Source: theguardian.com