🍛 Gastronomic guide to Goa: the best dishes and restaurants

It’s nice to travel not only for the sake of cool emotions and new photos on Instagram. Who doesn't want to please themselves with local culinary delights? For example, let's take Goa, where the cuisine is diverse. If you find yourself in this amazing country, then feel free to study their cooking. The dishes there are not only cheap, but also incredibly tasty and varied. Their prices are as attractive as their most amazing sunsets.

In Goa, a province of India, there are no such taboos regarding food as in India itself. Alcohol and pork are allowed here. There is an opinion that Indian cuisine, in particular Goan cuisine, is too hot and spicy. It's a delusion. The taste of local dishes is closer to sweet and sour and much “softer” than in the northern and eastern parts of India.

Wherever you order food, be it a coastal eatery, a cafe in the city center or a shawarma shop around the corner, you can always say “not spicy” and get a less seasoned dish. It is important to know that you should not eat in one place all the time and you should always choose those places where the locals eat. Because you want to try as much new cuisine as possible, and in establishments for indigenous Goans there is the lowest risk of poisoning.

As for culinary traditions, they do not exist in Goa. All food is served together – on one large tray with several dishes in cups on it. 

Almost every meal is not complete without an important component – rice. It is eaten with meat or fish curry, in the form of ” pilaf ” or the Goan dish “oddo” – steamed rice bread. They also often order aloo paratha – flatbread with potatoes, and cheese naan – flatbread with cheese.

Local seafood dishes are considered the most popular among tourists. They are cooked mainly on a grill or in a clay tandoori oven, adding curry sauce. Kingfish (mackerel) is in great demand, but tuna, brahma (a type of bream) and shark meat are also ordered.

There is a wide choice of shellfish: crabs, shrimp, tiger prawns, lobsters, squid, mussels and oysters. To delight your stomach with fresh seafood delights, there is no better place than Goa. He especially recommends Copperleaf Porvorim , Spice Goa or Joecons Beach Shack.

A Goan dish, as throughout India, is thali, which is served in small metal bowls on a tray and contains meat or fish, rice, various vegetables, sauces, flatbreads and dessert. Traditionally, thali is a vegetarian dish, but for tourists they will also prepare meat in a place called “Country Kitchen”.

How can you not ignore another component of Indian cuisine – coconut. Goans make coconut oil, which they use to prepare less fatty foods. It adds an unusual taste to dishes, sometimes exotic. To add sweetness, locals use jaggery – natural palm sugar. Desserts are prepared from it and rice.

Here coconut grows in large quantities. And it’s not surprising that many sweets use coconut milk. And the “queen” of desserts among the Goans is bebinka pie – a layered pudding made from chicken eggs, ghee, flour, nutmeg, coconut milk and sugar. You will find it in the Fishka cafe opposite the Alila diwa Goa hotel.

Among the popular fruits in Goa you can find: pineapple, melon, watermelon, passion fruit, guava, papaya, but all these fruits do not exceed coconut or mango in frequency of consumption. Also at the Goan markets “Saturday Night Market” and “Margao Market” you can buy pomegranates, dragon fruit, lychees, sweet tamarind grown on local plantations.

The selection of drinks is also quite varied. There is a local popular beer – King's Black Label Premium. Port wine lovers will also find something to enjoy. Here the range of this drink is affordable and wide. Port wine is served chilled in large glasses with a slice of lemon. As a gift, you can purchase Indian Old Monk rum or local Fenny vodka. It is made from cashew fruits or coconut palm sap.

As for non-alcoholic drinks, you can always grab lassi. It is based on yogurt with the addition of water, sugar and fruit. Lassi with banana, strawberry, mango and pineapple is popular in Goa. You can also order masala, made by brewing tea with a mixture of spices and herbs.

The cost of food and drinks depends on the level of the establishment where you decide to eat in Goa. According to reviews from tourists, at the beginning of 2023, an average of $15-40 per day was enough for food and alcohol. The products and dishes here are fresh and varied. What to try in Goa? It's up to you to decide. You can see for yourself that there is plenty of choice – and everyone can eat to their heart's content.