Summer Foods
Try Out These Summer Foods
It’s a riot of colour across Goa in the summer months of April and May. Hues of reds and bright yellows bloom on the trees. The markets are filled with the fresh goodness of a variety of fruits and there’s some special seasonal cooking done in the kitchen.
Don’t go without indulging in these summer favourites. When in Goa, eat like Goans do.
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Cashew
Summer brings cashews in abundance. Off the trees and into the markets, these bright reddish yellow fruits are crushed to make a variety of local dishes from curries like cashew sorpotel, caju-melado to juices and more. The nuts, though expensive in the open market, can be roasted and eaten
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Mango
As the sunny days continue, the mango trees are ready for the picking. Yellow is the favourite colour of the season with the distinct yellow mancurad, the Goan speciality waiting to be plucked. Sink your teeth into the soft mango pulp or mix it up for a refreshing shake—mangoes are a must in the summer.
And don’t forget to pickle the small green mangoes. Tora shiro (water pickle) and miskut are some local favourites that are a mouth-watering accompaniment to your meals.
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Summer Drinks
Summer fruits make for perfect ingredients in energizing coolers to beat the heat. Apart from the limonada (lemonade), you can gulp down other juices made from watermelon, oranges and of course, mangoes. Goa’s fiery spirit feni and its variants urrack and nero are the toast of the season.
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Fishy Indulgences
Come monsoons and fishing is banned in Goa. But Goans can’t do without their fish. So it’s time to use dried mackerels or prawns. The occasional fresh fish, besides crabs and mussels still come to the market. So all is not lost for Goa’s fish fiends.
