Goan food has the influences of its Hindu origins, forty decades of Portuguese colonialism, in addition to various modern techniques. The staple foods of this south-western Indian cuisine are rice, coconuts and fish, with almost all dishes comprising of them in some form or the other. The cuisine of Goa comprises of gourmet seafood preparations and hence crabs, lobsters, prawns and other fish. The food of Goa is usually spicy. Cashew nuts play a central role in this Indian cuisine along with fish.
Goan cuisine, although influenced by two different schools of cuisines of the Hindus and the Christians, has some common dishes and meeting points making it a remarkable harmony. The cuisine is mostly seafood based using different locally available fish and shell fish. Kingfish is the most common and staple dish of the region. The Hindu branch of the cuisine uses very little onions and garlic or none at all with a small amount of spices. The food is cooked in coconut oil with a free usage of lentils, pumpkins etc. Originally the recipes contained no tomatoes but because of the colonial rule of the Portuguese the use of tomatoes has become prevalent. Still the Hindus of Goa may not use them on religious events.
The catholic cuisine of Goa on the other hand is totally Portuguese influenced. The favored delicacy is the roast mass, a pork roast. Pork and beef are also used to make sorpotel which is a kind of spicy and vinegary dish. This sorpotel is best enjoyed with rice or bread and may even be sandwiched in a bun. Cabidela, a dish made out of pork, chicken or rabbits, has the blood of the animal mixed into the dish. Patoleo, a dish made with leaves of saffron stuffed with coconut, rice, pulses and jaggery is served at a feast. Boiled rice with some fish curry is a popular and common dish in this Indian region and is known as Xit Kodi. Vindaloo is another specialty, made with loads of spices and malt vinegar. The vindaloo is made with chicken or roasted lamb or pork. The vindaloo is a famous dish, which is served all over the world at Indian restaurants and takeaways.
The famous local alcoholic beverage known as fenny is made from fermented cashew nuts. This drink is very popular in the households of Goa and is fermented in almost every house. Not only that, this drink is very popular with tourists. A geographical indicator has been registered by Goa that allows only cashew drink made in Goa to be named as fenny.
One of the peculiar named dishes is Human, a fish curry with a name that is bound to amaze anybody at first.
Overall the cuisine is primarily seafood and coconut based due to its location in the coast of the Arabian Sea. This Indian cuisine is different from most other Indian food traditions. It is also, probably the Indian cuisine most accommodating to the palate of foreign tourists who visit Goa all year long. BOLA TANGKAS