The links that bind Goans together!

 

The links that bind Goans together

I have no idea who wrote this!!!

Being Goan “O these Goans “ exclaimed my Goan friend who lives in Borda, in South Goa. “Are you not Goan?” I asked. To which she replied, “No, I’m talking about these Goans from Goa”. I then realised there were so many types of Goans. The Goans from Bombay who consider themselves a class apart. They love every thing Goan but cannot ever think of living in Goa. They just spend a few days a year in Goa to stock up on their Feni, sausages, vinegar, Masalas. And always tell stories of how much property their family had. And the great summer holidays they spent as kids. Then there is the Goan from Africa. Many have now returned to Goa after the process of Kenyanisation in the 1970’s. They are an affluent lot who were the educated class of artists, lawyers doctors and entrepreneurs. As an outsider living here I have noticed that in almost all Goan families you will find either a dentist or a lawyer. Or both. Then there is the Portuguese Goan who fluently speaks Portuguese at home. Holds a Portuguese passport but continues to live in Goa. And to show you how different they are, if invited for a meal you will be served “feijoada” or "Pastel de Nata". The women in these families all learn baking and are very good cooks. I asked a Goan girl I often meet why she is not taking a Portuguese passport as many seem to be doing this. Her reply was “ We spent years chasing them out. We should be happy they are gone. Not follow them back! Honestly, I had never seen it that way but was amused with her way of thinking. The British Goans are not the same as Portuguese Goans. But pretty close. Cos many of them have Portuguese passports but worked in the UK before Brexit. They come to Goa more often. They love being Goan and are well travelled and inspite of the best Single Malt within their reach, they still prefer the good old Feni. Goans have left their land and travelled all over the world. Canada, USA, Malaysia, Australia and parts even the Malayalees have not reached. And many when they return realise that, they had gone too long and someone else has taken their land. I had fallen in love with Goa on my very first trip in the 1980s when the Porvorim water tank was the only landmark on NH66 that told you, you had to turn to take the road to go to Calangute. It’s not the same any more. But Goa is still beautiful. I love Goa.*

 Sep 2024, 17:55

Mena D'Cruz

What a beautiful answer! Comparison between two "Generations" ....... Everyone must read.

A youngster asked his father: "How did you people live before with- No air conditioned vehicle No Wifi No internet No computers No online shopping No TVs No air cons No mobile phones? No shopping Mall No multiplexes" His Dad replied: "Just like how your generation lives today with - No prayers No compassion No honor No respect No character No shame No modesty No time planning No sports No reading" "We, the people that were born between 1940-1980 are the blessed ones. Our life is a living proof: While playing and riding bicycles, we never wore helmets. After school, we played until dusk. We never watched TV. We played with real friends, not internet friends. If we ever felt thirsty, we drank tap water not bottled water. We never got ill although we used to share the same glass of juice with four friends. We never gained weight although we used to eat a lot of rice everyday. Nothing happened to our feet despite roaming bare-feet. our mother and father never used any supplements to keep us healthy. We used to create our own toys and play with them. Our parents were not rich. They gave us love, not worldly materials. We never had cellphones, DVDs, play station, XBox, video games, personal computers, internet chat - but we had real friends. We visited our friends' homes uninvited and enjoyed food with them. unlike your world, we had relatives who lived close by so family time and ties were enjoyed together. We may have been in black and white photos but you will find colourful memories in those photos. We are a unique and, the most understanding generation, because we are the last generation who listened to their parents. Also , the first who have had to listen to their children. and we are the ones who are still smarter and helping you now to use the technology that never existed while we were your age!!! We are a LIMITED edition! So you better - Enjoy us. Learn from us. Treasure us. Before we disappear from Earth and your lives."

 

From Mena D'Cruz

By Cyprian Fernandes

THE THING ABOUT Goans of breeding from a distant past is that some of us cling to things that bind us to Goa in different ways. A few things are specific, St Francis Xavier, the village feasts, the lost rice paddies, when Goa was full of Goans, the sea air, the beaches, the coconut groves, jack fruits, Goa Sausages, No. 1 or No. 2, mango orchards, the curries, million or more and iconic cuisine (I exaggerate, yes, but it felt like that sometimes), the cashew feni, urak from the coconuts, the churches (but not necessarily some of the priests), the towns, the cities, all those unforgettable Christmas and feast day sweets, fishing on those very old boats, walking everywhere, the jingle jangle of the baker's delivery bicycle, paddy fields that are lost forever,  just being there in the old days when there were lots and lots of Goans and the restaurants were catered mainly for the Goan tastebuds and lots and lots of things. Friends tell me that these days things are not so good and the face of Goa of old has changed considerably but the country is still there but there are changes ...

One of the reasons Goans were particularly attached to the East African countries was Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and other countries along the Indian Ocean coast had so much to offer that was familiar to Goa.

It would be no exaggeration to say that Goans pretty well felt at home in their second home.

SIMPL out of necessity I learnt to cook at a very young age. My mother taught me. Always feels like I have been cooking for 81 years, give or take a few for holidays, illness, etc. It was not long before I was grinding curry masala on the traditional stone. Rice and fish curry were the traditional dishes. The leftover curry the next day (kulchi kodhi, especially Sorak) was a prized dish and there usually was a mad dash for it. Kenya having a Indian Ocean coastline meant that we got all the traditional fishes usually found in Goa. It was not long before I was cooking Mackerel rechado, prawn curry (once in a while), Pork sorpotel and buch (pig’s stomach) sorpotel (when we could get it), beef curry, lamb curry, lady fingers curry, vegetable curry, brinjal curry and a host of others. A variety of pilaus and  Egg omelettes were very popular and white flour (or mixed brown flour) chappatis were an eternal favourite. We made filos (white flour cake),  regularly, something called gonce (apologies I can’t remember the English names of some of these), lamb or beef cutlets, once in a while chicken cutlets, and lots of others which  I will try and remember.

Once in a while,  the Kenyan tilapia, especially the larger Lake Victoria variety and the golden or silver local river variety were very popular. Whiting, both the smaller and the larger varieties were very popular. Goans who lived along the East African coast were blessed with every kind of fish they yearned for or remembered.

Other popular dishes, when we could afford them, were: Xacuti, Chicken Cafreal, Shark ambot tik, Sannas, and lots of other dishes that an old man can’t remember. But it is on my tongue … one day!

Besides the mangoes, I think it was the love affair with coconuts that won most hearts. Custard apples were not very far behind, as were guava of many varieties.

Some of the other things that bind us to Goa!

Feni, pao,

1.       Goan Fish Curry

2.       Chicken Cafreal

3. Goan Pork Vindaloo

4. Chicken Xacuti

5. Shark Ambot Tik

6. Sorpotel

7. Feijoada

8. Sorak

9. Samarachi Kodi (dry prawn curry)

10. Prawns Xeque Xeque

11. Patolea

12. Crab Xacuti

13. Bebinca

14. Fish Recheado

15. Goan Khatkhate (vegetable stew)

16. Sannas

Favourite Goan sweets (especially at Christmas)

Dodol, Bebinca, Neuros, Kulkuls, Bolinhas, Batica, Perad, Doce, Marzipan, 

Once upon a time, just being in Goa was enough to warm the heart, bathe the soul, south the throat and feel the head with dreams of once upon a time.

There was also a time when catching up with the local Konkani dialect was also a pleasure. Some called it practice time Konkani.

Just relaxing on those almost empty beaches in South Goa was something very special.

 

What have I missed?

Croquettes, freshly fried prawns, fish and coconut water

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