Image sourced from the internet.

Sweet summer memories for most of us involve climbing mango trees to pluck all the fresh fruit our hands could possibly reach. The mangoes of Goa are second to none, and the state is among the producers of the highest number of varieties of this delicious summer fruit. However, one particular local Goan mango trumps all others - Mankhurad!

Also known as Goa Mankur, Kurad, Malcorado, Corado etc, Mankhurad first entered the Goan belt in the early 1600s with the Portuguese travelers. With a cultivation history that spans centuries, this Goan variety has grown to become only sweeter with time. Today, the Portuguese Malcorado, is shipped all across India for its distinct taste and finds its way to the Goan summer table as fresh fruit, as well as jams, compotes and ice creams.

Life around the Mankhurad at Navovado

We were lucky to find five full grown, fruiting, and gloriously canopied Mankhurad trees on site when we began our design-development project Navovado. We have consciously preserved the vegetation and designed a modern Goan house around these magnificent mango trees that give us fresh, bountiful harvests in the summer and are a glorious green sight for sore eyes throughout the year.

As people move from cities in search of a better quality of life, Goa is often the first choice as it offers the perfect balance of the urban and the countryside. It makes room for a simple but luxurious lifestyle that celebrates the changes in nature, vegetation, and climate throughout the year. From Kokum in the late winter to cashews and mangoes in the summer to the famous kom and pipri in the monsoon, life in Goa is very much about savouring the bounties of seasonal living.

Come summer, it is cashew season in Goa and the trees are laden with fruits in sunset colours - the cashew tree swells with ripe produce in shades of red, yellow and orange. Between late February and early April, a majority of cashew harvest is carried out. Picking days are planned and cashew trails are organised as fruit is separated from nut. The freshly collected cashew nut is then prepared for the market - split, roasted, and seasoned before it makes it way to different parts of Goa, India, and beyond. The fresh cashew fruit however is carefully preserved and fashioned into a Goan summer delicacy. As the days grow warm outside, the Goan cashew fruit makes different appearances on the table throughout the season: first Niro, then Urrak, and finally Feni.

NIRO

After the fallen cashew apples are de-seeded, the fruits are thrown into a stomp pit and finely crushed to extract the juice. Sweet, sour and slightly pungent, the juice is collected into an earthen pot. In this fresh form, the juice called Niro has a shelf life of only a few hours and therefore, it is not commonly sold as a market product even within Goa. It is only within Panaji's oldest bakery, Mr. Baker 1922, that one would find bottled Niro, packaged under strict hygienic conditions and sold seasonally between March and May.

URRAK

All images have been sourced from the internet.

Once the fresh cashew juice is collected, it is stored in large terracotta pots and buried underground to ferment for three days. This first fermentation results in a high-quality, fruity alcohol called Urrak made precious by its short shelf life that lasts only a few weeks. Found in local bars but primarily in old Goan houses, Urrak is a seasonal drink that is a matter of great Goan pride, much like Sake from Japan or Chaang from the Himachali hills. The Goans typically enjoy their Urrak as a summer afternoon cocktail - topped with fresh cold limca, a dash of fresh lemon juice, a sprinkle of salt and paprika, and a chilli dunked.

FENI

Finally, there’s the popular Feni, which finds a place among the world’s strongest liquors. Feni is the second distillation of cashew pulp after Urrak and is found year-round in the coastal state. This summer elixir is either barrel-aged or copper pot distilled and then filtered for smoothness. Today, homegrown Goan distilleries like Aani Ek give the robust Feni a flavourful twist. The distinct local branding is also found in brands like Lembarca (in the image above), which to date carries a hand sketched label crafted by iconic Goan artist Mario Miranda.

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Goa is a land of incredible natural and cultural diversity.

Learn more about Goa’s famous native landscape here.

To know more about where to live in Goa, visit this blogpost.

Finally, if you’re interested in buying a house in Goa, use this checklist.

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It has been more than a year since I last visited Goa and I find myself often turning to memories of fresh Goan food, a definite shortcut to paradise. Here is a collection of some incredible recipes, food documentation, a list of restaurants and some stunning art brought together by their celebration of Local Goan food.

Food reporting is at once an incredible guide to the local cuisine and a reliable way of mapping the life and times of a particular place and culture. Joanna Lobo is a freelance writer from Goa, and finds a way to magically weave her experiences of living in Goa into her stories about Goan food. Here is a collection of essays and stories from her. I particularly recommend - How I Tried (and failed) To Master The Goan Bebinca Cake.

The Goan Sorpotel. Illustration by Anna Vu.

For someone in Goa, looking for the best seafood joints, we have a list curated by LBB. The list looks at offbeat restaurants that are typically not on the tourist map, but wildly popular for their authenticity among the locals. Find the restaurants here.

On the other hand, if you wish to visit Goa from the comfort of your homes, here is something you could look at. Goya Journal does a wonderful job of mapping Goan food history and diversity. Find their articles on Goan Food here.

Great food nourishes the body and great art nourishes the soul. What could be better than them coming together? We love this visual recipe of the famous Goan Xacuti Curry, created by illustrator Shruti Prabhu. In her words: “Goan cuisine is strongly influenced by the Portuguese, since they ruled Goa till 1961. Xacuti (Chacuti in Portuguese) is spicy curry made either with chicken or crabs. The roasted spices give such a lovely aroma to this recipe. You can tone down the heat by reducing the number of chillies.”

Finally, we’d be remiss if we did not mention a spectacular food tour that is happening right now across Goa, hosted by renowned chef Thomas Zacharias. Chef T Zac as he is commonly known, is popular for his #ChefontheRoad series where he drives through different parts of the country, and does everything from culinary lessons in home kitchens, to interactions with locals in villages, to foraging for indigenous seasonal ingredients, to visits to local markets, and eating out in quaint restaurants. #COTRgoa is an extensive sensory map of quintessentially Goan culinary heritage and can be found on the chef’s Instagram as well as Twitter pages.

We wish you happy adventures on your culinary expeditions. Write to us with your favourite recommendations in the comments below.