Goans First: Culinary Culture in Crisis? Not too long ago I overheard an interesting exchange between two Indian tourists. One man was telling the other to try the ras omelet as it is the most popular Goan food. That ras omelet undoubtably is popular in Goa today is true but is it a part of our traditional Goan cuisine?
In the previous two or three decades a great variety of people and cuisines have entered Goa along with foreigners and Indians from everywhere in India, some of whom have enriched Goan food culture of this state though not always. A lot of Goans will be surprised to read what I have written, and a lot more will feel depressed after reading it, and wonder. Has our traditional Goan food culture arrived at the crossroads? Is now a good time to take an audit? Historically, Goan and Indian food have been spicy, and though Goan cuisine has a lot of dishes which are spicy, there are also a lot of dishes from various places in India which are even more spicy or in common usage, hotter. They are now available widely in Goa. India, as we all know too well, is a hot and humid country and although the north has four seasons our country is hot, very hot. As for south India, it has been said often enough there are only two seasons: hot and hotter. Spices keep us healthy as they cool the body and maintain an equal balance of temperatures of our skin outside which sweats and the inside which is kept cool. And so spices are good for us during the hot season which is most of the time. No accident this, our widespread use and love of spices. Our need and capacity to cope with a lot of spice is often beyond the tolerance limits of Europeans and other Caucasians. While foreigners sojourn in Goa and try to eat Goan food it is a big contrast to the daily food Caucasians who live in icy cold countries eat where temperatures are often below zero and whose food is not at all spicy. Isn't it time for us Goans to economize on spices and red chilli? If we Goans want to expand our food market and extend an invitation to more foreigners from cold countries then it is important for us to use less spice and chilli. Not a lot of foreigners can stomach spicy or hot food, and a great number are wary of it. Goan food does not cease to be Goan if we use only a small percentage of the spice that we normally use to prepare our food. People from cold countries who can withstand spice, no doubt will go for it but the majority will make a u-turn when a Goan food menu is put in front of them. For people with delicate palates there should also be a place reserved at the dining table. Goan food is heavily spiced so it is not possible even for Goans to have a full dinner course unlike Chinese, Italians and some other cuisines. After all, how many masala and chilli dishes can we eat? The Goans through the ages have solved this problem by making the buffet an important part of celebrations, weddings and birthday parties. Everyone can reach their own level of spice tolerance! Bon appetit.