THE PRINTED WORD: Goan... via the stomach Frederick Noronha f...@goa-india.org
FOR GOANS overseas, music has been a strong link with home. The same can be said of Goan writing, and there is a market overseas for books on Goa. But cookery can't be overlooked in its role as another thread that keeps the far-flung diaspora in touch. Now more than ever because -- thanks to cyberspace -- the flow of ideas, information and books across international borders is easier than ever before. And Alda Figueiredo only proves this point. Some weeks back, Ms Figueiredo got in touch. A friend of a friend, she wanted to know about the possibilities of getting her book on cookery published in Goa. From Loutolim, she lives in the UK. In 2005, she published a Goan cookery book in London titled 'The Goanese Fusion Flavours'. Yes, many Goans don't like to be called "Goanese", and believe the name is some kind of conspiracy against them. So a change in the title is expected, while Ms. Figueiredo is now working to come out with a Goa edition of the book. There are quite a few Goa-related cookery books available presently too. But that doesn't mean that there's no space for more. On the contrary. Bookshop owners whom I know are, in fact, keen to distribute more titles related to this field. Not without reason: food, like football and music, are some of the aspects of Goan life that are popular and widely known wherever Goan communities have made their impact felt. There's an interest in such books, both back at home and elsewhere. As of now, we have a number of books on cooking in Goa still available in the market (besides all-time favourites and written by Mangalorean or Goan authors such as Isidore Coelho's The Chef). There are books by Joyce Fernandes, Gilda Mendonca, Padma Mahale ('Ishtann'), Jennifer Fernandes, Marie Elsa Lobo, Rita D'Souza, Aroona Reejhsinghani, Aruna Thaly ('Aswad'), among others. Check online listings at goabooks.com or otherindiabookstore.com Ms Figueiredo's large-size book, printed on glossy paper, came out in a 300-copies edition in the UK. Understandably, it was tough shipping the book across the continents -- and postal or freight rates can cut into the viability of a project. But now, if an edition comes out in Goa itself, the work could be more accessible to readers here. * * * Ms Figueiredo tells her story of how the book came to be: after retirement, she travelled extensively across India, and she is someone who appreciates food. At times, she would thank the restaurant owner when she appreciated some meal. She adds: "Often, I was surprised that the chef was delighted to talk about food and describe the ingredients incorporated in a specific dish. Similarly, I found that relatives and friends were delighted to share their recipes with me." Thank goodness for this culture of sharing. How much more boring would our globe be, and how less rich our food, if we only believed in hiding information and knowledge, not sharing it, as the copyright-everything approach suggests. To get under the skin of the topic, the author had to learn the names of fruits, vegetables, grains, herbs, spices, seafood, meat and the like. So, she has a glossary of Konkani words in this text too. In her brief introduction to Goa, Ms Figueiredo writes: "Goans have been living abroad for several generations, but the Goan identity is rooted, among other things, in a deep enjoyment of food and drink. My husband and I have been living abroad for over forty years, but our love for Goa is warm and cordial and we have been visiting Goa regularly over the years." The book, besides a whole lot of dishes, also includes listings of commonly-used Goan ingredients and spices. There is a food glossary and a recipe index. Each recipe is laid out in a simple style, with a simple photograph showing the dish. Given the migration reality, and the fact that Ms Figueiredo has been away for four decades, the food obviously focuses on traditional Catholic style Goan food, strong on its non-veg emphasis. Today, such food is getting increasingly scarce to find in restaurants here, as more Catholics migrate out of Goa, and food tastes here are also determined by tourists -- both desi and foreign -- and communities that migrate in here. But in Figueiredo's book there is also a fair sprinkling of food from elsewhere -- masala dosa, apple pickle, carrot-cake Indian style and more. There are a number of names from the Goa of the past: miscut (green mango pickle), mangada (mango jam), tendli pickle, dried prawn balchao preserve, fish parra, pork parra, fish moley, masachi koddi (Goan beef curry) and even an Anne Mascarenhas' chicken curry! * * * The author says she made an effort to include some details of history, produce, culture and ingredients of Goa. "It's not just recipes. I wrote this book specially for my children. They would ring me every time, when they were in university. So I actually had quite a few recipes written down for them," she says. For her, recipes were a strong link with Goa. This inspite of the fact that Ms Figueiredo left Goa as a young bride, spent years in Africa and then moved with her family to the UK, after the Idi Amin episode in Uganda. "We visited Goa ever so often," she says. But the food included is from three continents where Ms Figueiredo and her family lived, not just Goa. "I love cooking. And I try dishes of other nationalities -- English, Indian, Oriental, Italian and Portuguese cosine," she adds. "My children love Goan food. Most of the recipes are Goan recipes," she adds. She diplomatically side-steps questions about Goan (specially Catholic) food being extra rich or unhealthy for a sedentary lifestyle. "It depends on the taste," says she. "In England, the food is very bland. Children brought up in different countries always prefer their own taste." Her family's favourite is ambot-tik. "I've got three kids and they love Goan food," says she. Her book itself contains starters, chicken dishes, pork dishes, lamb dishes, beef dishes, fish dishes, and a special section on vegetarians. There are also pickles, chutneys and preserves included. There are various salads, deserts and also cakes. "I decided to compile it after I retired, 10 years ago," she narrates. Earlier, she went ahead in printing a limited five-copy print-on-demand version of the book. "Just for the three children and us." Such limited print-runs are possible with today's technology of digital printing. Then her son insisted and urged her to print it. "I never thought it would be actually published," she says modestly. Now it's 205 pages, and she is keen to see it published in Goa too. "Because I love Goa, and I'm a Goan and brought up here. I come to Goa every single year, and I spent quality time, of three months, in Goa," she adds. Ms Figueiredo says she's also planning another book or two, but is keeping her fingers crossed to see if those would make it to print and get successfully published. -- The Goanese Fusion Flavours Cookery Manual By Alda Figueiredo Published in the UK, and reprinted at The Goa Archdiocesan Press, Verna Price not mentioned. Currently not available in Goa. Email: alda_juli...@yahoo.co.uk See video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVo4Xz2OUVw