When you think Goa you think of the Sun, the Sand, the Sea and the Fish!! Goa's diverse attractions proudly feature its local produce and traditional cuisine which is loved and enjoyed all over the world.
Since Goa’s primary occupations have revolved around its coastline, the economy has depended heavily on the fisherfolk who practise unique preservation techniques that have been refined and perfected over time.
A melting pot of cultures and cuisines, Goa has been influenced by colonialism and by the demands of the sea farers as it became an important port of call for trade routes. As history tells us, the Portuguese became an influential and long-lasting connection that helped Goan cuisine traverse many paths by constantly trading an assortment of vegetables, spices, cashew nuts, meats, etc. This trading gradually transformed the local recipes of coastal food and evolved into one of the most cherished Art of Pickling Fish.
Seasonal foods are traditionally pickled for the purpose of preserving them for a longer period. Most Indian households love their pickles and are very creative with the methods and techniques of preservation. Most pickling is done using natural preservatives like vinegar or oil with spices ranging from red chilis to black pepper, coriander and mustard seeds, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves to ginger and onion seeds among others
For Goa, the pickling season begins just before the Monsoons as heavy rains and high tides result in limited fishing. Fishing is also banned by the Department of Fisheries to preserve the ecology and allow the fish to repopulate.
Naturally, this is also the time that fish loving Goan families start thinking of ways to satisfy their craving for fish and the demands of their tastebuds by preserving fish in the form of pickles to include it in their meals.
Goa is blessed with the best quality fishes that are used for pickling. The summers of the months April and May are the best times to dry the fish. They are perfectly salted and left in the sun to get naturally dried. This period could be a day or two before the pickling begins. Whereas some recipes require the fish to be fried before it’s preparation.
Some of these are precious recipes that have been preserved quite secretly by families. Others have become iconic and world famous like the Balchao which also makes for a tasty dish with ingredients like tomatoes, fish, vinegar, and chilies. It's believed that it evolved from a dish named blachan of Portuguese origin, prepared with fermented fish. The locals would prepare the dishes/pickles using tamarind and kokum, another Goan speciality which has a tartness quite unlike tamarind or lime.
Goans use a variety of vinegar for pickling with the most common ones being white-wine vinegar, apple cider, malt, and homemade toddy vinegar. Malt vinegar is preferred to enhance the flavor whereas white vinegar is used to enhance the texture and color of the ingredients. It is believed that it was the Portuguese influence that made vinegar an integral part of pickling in Goa.
Goana Foods has kept these rich traditions alive with their staggering variety of pickles that follow these traditions and include
