RAMNATH N PAI RAIKAR
Food culture in general refers to the beliefs, attitudes, and practices pertaining to food, encompassing how it is produced, distributed and consumed. In Indian tradition, consumption of food is not restricted to merely filling one’s belly but a sacred act like Yagnya or ritual comprising holy fire, which provides energy to our life, and hence is equated to the almighty.
The sphere of Goan food culture is vast and diverse, at the same time. Illustrious Goan folklorist, Vinayak Khedekar has tried to assimilate this topic into his recent book, ‘Goa Annasanskriti’ – ‘Food culture of Goa’ – brought out by the Department of Information and Publicity.
Stating that food is an important part of human culture and has a key role in guiding the morals, ethics and behaviour of human beings, Khedekar says that the main objective behind authoring this book is to cover topics untouched by others, till date.
“My book is not a book of Goan recipes but it covers the background, traditional knowledge and technology, and origins of Goan food,” he adds, pointing out that unlike the pungency or strong nature of food items in other states, Goan food displays tenderness imparted by staple rice and coconut, which in turn is responsible for the mild nature of Goans consuming the same.
The author also states that there is so much ignorance about Goan food not only in the minds of outsiders but also among Goans. For example, many are not well acquainted with the culinary customs of Gawada communities from Sattari, Salcete and Canacona talukas. Hence, all such information needs to be documented. In fact, the book covers in detail the staple food of lower middle class as also toiling masses, and its relation to their existence with the key involvement of nature.
“Although Goa is topographically a small region, it has diverse culinary culture, and Sattari Taluka is gastronomically unique! There are altogether 30 communities/ tribes in Goa, and collecting information about their food habits was a staggering task,” says Khedekar.
In Goa, he adds there are community-wise and not caste-wise variations in food culture. “The Brahmins in Goa themselves have different eating habits,” he says. Each district in Goa also has a lasting influence of its eco-culture on its food, he states. “It was difficult for me to take up such a vast canvas. Hence, I chose to include only representative examples in the book, like the lower-middle class from Ponda Taluka or Gawada community from Salcete Taluka. In fact, the Gawada community from Salcete and Bardez have no similarities,” he says.
The book also speaks about the important ingredients in the staple Goan food like rice, fish, salt, wild vegetables, seasonal fruits, etc. “I have also covered traditional Goan kitchens, the utensils used in the houses of the local people etc,” says Khedekar. Furthermore, the book includes general dishes which are typical of the region.
Khedekar has also dwelt in detail on the food prepared during the rituals conducted in memory of the ancestors, the ‘naivedya’ or the food offerings to the deities, and ‘Purument’, the local tradition of stocking up on essential food provisions before the onset of monsoon. “In fact, when native Goans used to cook food on the traditional clay stove, it required the utensils to be of particular shape and material,” he adds.
Speaking about the Catholic food culture, Khedekar says that being a vegetarian, he could not taste the non-vegetarian food from all communities, including Catholic people. Nevertheless, he collected information from them by visiting their kitchens, and then confirmed it from other sources.
The author also maintains that what is served to visitors to the state as Goan food is actually not authentic local food. “This is because hotels cannot use coconut in their so called Goan dishes, the way we do in ours. Even the use of spring or well water, wood fire for cooking and grinding stone for mashing spices impart a particular taste to the Goan food,” he says. “Therefore, I feel that the government should set up a place where people can taste typical Goan food, may it be vegetarian of non vegetarian.”
The author clarifies that the book was written in Marathi and not English which is a widely recognised language, because of his lack of fluency over the language.
“However, the more important reason for the same is the tedious task of finding alternate English words for the local culinary vocabulary,” he says. “I could not have found a word for ‘fodna/ phodni’, which is tempering or seasoning a preparation with spices, and therefore, might have been forced to write even a small paragraph just to explain a single culinary term.”
On a parting note, Khedekar says, “I am of the opinion that the changes which have appeared in the traditional Goan food could not have been avoided as evolution is a constant process, with only seminal elements being retained in the original. In fact, the traditions are alive because they have changed.”
