Bebinca or Bolinas, Dodol or Goan Doce – these are part of nostalgia for the good old days when close-knit communities irrespective of religion, attended midnight mass and received boxes of mouth-watering Christmas sweets from neighbours. Even today, come Christmas and traditional Goan Catholic households are filled with special aromas that incorporate European and Indian elements. Times may be changing but the joy of giving continues unabated especially when it is about the queen of desserts - Bebinca and Dodol - layered delicacies that are a must buy in Goa.
Said to have evolved in the 17th century out of the idea of zero waste cooking, it is a multilayered delicacy prepared in ghee or butter which takes 4 to 12 hours to bake. This Portuguese influenced desert, popularly called "Bibik” is an integral part of Goan celebrations.
Many believe it was invented by Portuguese Nun Bebiana of Santa Monica Convent, who created this 7 layered pudding with leftover yolks with the 7 layers giving a tribute to the 7 hills of Lisbon and Goa. It is said that when this delicacy was sent to the priests, they advised her to increase the layers and ever since it boasts of having anything between 7-16 layers.
The most important ingredient in preparing Bebinca, it is said, is patience! The flour, the eggs, the sugar and coconut milk are all used to create layers after layers that require copious amounts of ghee and a pinch of nutmeg. It is still preferred to bake it traditionally in an earthware specially designed for it named as tizal. In this process unlike the traditional way of putting it on fire, the burning coconut husks are put on the lid of the tizal to bake it.
The Dodol is similar in ingredients to Bebinca and is also believed to be a Portuguese delicacy, though some claim it as an Indonesian dish. Next to Bebinca in popularity, Dodol also has cultural significance as it is believed that the Catholic woman has to take back Dodol and Bananas as a “voje” (gift for grooms) when she returns to her husband’s house after the delivery of her first child.
Dodol is prepared in a big cauldron named “kail” which came as part of the dowry. Another popular belief says that if you borrow kail from someone, you have to return it along with a Dodol, as a form of gratitude.
Dodol is prepared traditionally in coconut milk with palm sugar and rice flour. It can also be prepared with jaggery if palm sugar is unavailable. Thick, sticky, and sweet, It takes about 9 hours to be prepared or until the moisture completely evaporates and requires constant stirring. You can also add sesame seeds, salt, cardamom powder and Cashewnut. Once prepared it's poured in ghee laced vessel and flattened with Banana leaves before its cut into multiple rectangular shapes.
Aligned with various Goan cultures both Bebinca and Dodol, share Goan-Portuguese history and have traveled to various south Asian countries transforming themselves into different forms. Whatever be their origin, they are now an essential part of Goan culture and famous across the world as Goan Delicacies.
If you want to carry home a slice of Goa, don’t forget to carry enough to gift your friends and family
