Tag: Culinary Heritage

Events in Goa

Goa Food & Cultural Festival 2026 Opens in Margao, Celebrating Goa’s Culinary Heritage and Cultural Diversity

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Written by Intern Rency Gomes ||Team Allycaral 

Margao, January 23, 2026: The Margao Cricket Club at Dr. Rajendra Prasad Stadium came alive on Thursday evening as the Goa Food & Cultural Festival 2026 commenced, marking the beginning of a three-day celebration dedicated to Goa’s rich culinary heritage and diverse cultural traditions. The festival brings together authentic flavours, traditional art forms and contemporary performances, offering a shared cultural experience for residents and visitors alike.


The festival was inaugurated in the presence of Minister for Tourism Rohan A. Khaunte; Minister for PWD and Captain of Ports Digambar Kamat; Chairman, Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) Kedar J. Naik; MLA of Navelim Constituency Ulhas Tuenkar; Chairperson of Margao Municipal Council Damodar Shirodkar; Director of Tourism Kedar Naik; Managing Director, GTDC Kuldeep Arolkar, along with other dignitaries.

The occasion also saw the felicitation of prominent local personalities including Shubham Naik, Nilesh Shirodkar, Harish Deulker, Sudha Kudalkar and Vishwas Chari for their notable contributions to the fields of cuisine, art and culture.

Addressing the gathering, Tourism Minister Rohan A. Khaunte said that this was the second Food and Cultural Festival being organised in Margao and highlighted Goa’s diverse culinary traditions. He noted that from North to South Goa, travellers can experience a wide range of flavours, making the State a unique destination for food lovers.

He further stated that Goa, as a creative capital, could also be regarded as a culinary capital due to the richness of its cuisine. Emphasising the State’s focus on regenerative tourism, he said that all stalls at the festival are operated by Goans, including self-help groups offering home-made products. He added that the festival also provides a platform for local artists to showcase their talent, ensuring inclusivity and community participation.

PWD Minister and Captain of Ports Digambar Kamat observed that tourism continues to play a vital role in Goa’s economic growth and said that festivals such as the Goa Food & Cultural Festival add vibrancy to the State’s tourism calendar and contribute to increased visitor footfall.

GTDC Chairman Kedar J. Naik recalled earlier editions of the festival and stated that it continues to benefit self-help groups and local communities by offering a platform to showcase authentic Goan delicacies while preserving cultural traditions. He also highlighted the importance of providing opportunities for folk dancers and musicians.

MLA Ulhas Tuenkar said that the festival is organised with the objective of strengthening local livelihoods, with the majority of stalls run by Goans and self-help groups, enabling them to earn through their skills while celebrating Goa’s food and culture.

Director of Tourism Kedar Naik described the festival as a celebration of flavours, traditions and the vibrant spirit of Goa, and expressed gratitude to all stakeholders involved in making the event a success. He invited residents and visitors to experience the festivities over the coming days.

The opening day featured cultural performances by the Kanta Gaude Troupe, followed by live performances by Anson, Chelsea & Jeliska Trio, Sonia Shirsat with her Band, and LYNX, setting an energetic tone for the festival.

Alongside cultural performances, the festival features a wide range of stalls offering authentic Goan cuisine, traditional delicacies, local crafts and handmade products, providing valuable exposure to local artisans and entrepreneurs.

The Goa Food & Cultural Festival 2026, part of the Department of Tourism’s ‘Goa Beyond Beaches’ initiative, will continue until January 25, 2026, with a diverse line-up of cultural programmes and culinary showcases planned over the next two days.

Events in Goa

SAF 2025 Culinary Curators Spotlight Disappearing Salts and Vanishing Fish-Fry Aromas from Goa’s Kitchens

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral

Goa’s culinary heritage is steadily thinning under the pressures of tourism, urbanisation and changing lifestyles, according to experts presenting their work at the Serendipity Arts Festival 2025. While the erosion may appear gradual, its signs are increasingly visible — from drying salt pans and fading neighbourhood aromas to the quiet disappearance of everyday food knowledge from modern kitchens.

This year’s culinary section brings together four curators — Thomas Zacharias, Prahlad Sukhtankar, Odette Mascarenhas, and the Edible Issues duo of Anushka Murthy and Elizabeth Yorke — who collectively turn the festival into a living archive of what Goa still remembers, and what it risks forgetting.

Chef Prahlad Sukhtankar’s project, Salt, confronts one of Goa’s most tangible losses. Once home to more than 75 salt pans, the state today has barely five main areas of salt production, he says, pointing to generational shifts and land-use changes that are erasing a craft central to Goa’s khazan landscapes. Expanding the lens nationally, Sukhtankar notes that while India once had around 130 indigenous salts, only 30 to 35 are available today, with his team able to source just 18 varieties for the exhibition. Goa’s marine salts, he explains, stand apart for their brininess and the unmistakable scent of the sea — a sensory quality inland salts cannot replicate.

While salt traces what is disappearing from the land, Edible Issues’ Smell Rooms captures what is vanishing from the air. Murthy and Yorke attempt what may be Goa’s first olfactory archive of food heritage, mapping the state through scents that once shaped everyday life. Asking residents what has changed over the past decade, Yorke says many spoke of how fish frying once announced itself across neighbourhoods, making it easy to tell who was cooking what. In today’s air-conditioned homes and sanitised kitchens, those smells are fading, turning scent into memory — one that now needs preservation.

For chef Thomas Zacharias and The Locavore, the focus shifts to imagining the future through absence. His installation asks what India might taste like in the year 2100, when food traditions and agricultural diversity thin out further. Collaborating with Immerse and Quasar Thakore Padmasee, the project reflects on loss at both the farm and cultural levels, questioning how much flavour and knowledge can disappear before it is noticed.

Odette Mascarenhas turns attention inward, excavating Goa’s pre-chilli culinary history across five communities — Hindu artisans, Gaud Saraswat Brahmins, Muslim families, Christian kitchens and Indo-Russo homes. By cooking Goan food without chillies, she reconstructs what the cuisine looked like before Portuguese influence, while also highlighting how everyday home-cooked dishes are steadily disappearing from public spaces as tourism and urban tastes reshape the state’s food narrative.

Together, the four curators transform Serendipity’s culinary showcase into a powerful ledger of loss and possibility — documenting what Goa stands to lose, while quietly asking whether it is still willing to listen, remember and reclaim its edible past.

Events in Goa

Taj Cidade de Goa Celebrates International Chef’s Day with a Heartfelt Tribute to Goa’s Home Chefs

Tanisha Cardozo

In the world of gastronomy, the most cherished recipes often begin at home — simmered over slow flames, seasoned with memory, and perfected through generations. This International Chef’s Day, Taj Cidade de Goa celebrated those quiet creators of tradition — Goa’s home chefs — with an event that beautifully blended professional artistry and heartfelt heritage.

The resort’s special initiative, Home Chef Interactions, was designed as a bridge between Taj’s culinary experts and Goa’s passionate home cooks. It celebrated the idea that culinary excellence isn’t confined to professional kitchens but thrives equally in households where recipes are family heirlooms and every spice tells a story.

During these interactive sessions, the chefs of Taj Cidade de Goa came together with local home cooks to exchange techniques, flavours, and stories rooted in Goa’s rich gastronomic history. From the delicate balance of spices to the intuitive use of local ingredients, the sessions offered a deeper appreciation of the skill and creativity that define Goan cuisine.

Among the featured home chefs were Guilhermina Fernandes, who is known for her creative use of pepper — a spice she calls “the heart of Goan aroma and versatility”; Succorina C. Fernandes, celebrated for her soulful rendition of Samarachi Kodi, a monsoon favourite; and Sharmila Fernandes, whose Xacuti represents the complexity and warmth of traditional Goan cooking.

Their stories went beyond food — they spoke of heritage, of mothers and grandmothers who cooked by instinct, and of families for whom food has always been a language of love and belonging.

While professional kitchens around the world celebrated the artistry of chefs, Taj Cidade de Goa expanded that recognition to the unsung storytellers of Goan cuisine — home chefs who preserve authenticity through everyday cooking. The celebration culminated with a curated menu at BLD, the resort’s signature multicuisine restaurant, featuring dishes inspired by these talented cooks.

Through this thoughtful initiative, Taj Cidade de Goa reaffirmed its belief that true hospitality is rooted in culture and community. In honouring home chefs, the resort not only celebrated the spirit of International Chef’s Day but also ensured that the essence of Goan cuisine — humble, heartwarming, and steeped in history — continues to thrive for generations to come.

Events in Goa

The Spirit of Goa Festival 2025 – A Resounding Celebration of Goa’s Distilling and Culinary Heritage

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Panjim, 29th April 2025 – The Department of Tourism convened a press conference with the Director Tourism Shri Kedar Naik, General Manager, Marketing GTDC Shri Gavin Dias, Deputy General, Marketing and PRO Shri Deepak Narvekar, and Assistant Director, Department of Tourism Shri Jayesh Kankonkar for the Spirit of Goa Festival, which will be held from 2nd to 4th May 2025 at the scenic SAG Grounds, Colva.

Director Tourism, Shri Kedar Naik stated “The Spirit of Goa Festival is more than just a celebration — it is a tribute to Goa’s legacy of craftsmanship, innovation, and community spirit. By blending tradition with creativity, the festival presents a vibrant showcase of our rich heritage to the world. We are committed to strengthening such platforms that empower local artisans, distillers, and culinary talent, while also offering visitors an authentic taste of Goa’s evolving story.”

The three-day event will showcase 40 stalls and a wide spectrum of locally distilled beverages — from the traditional and GI-tagged Cashew Feni, to innovative Feni infusions, premium gins, craft beers, and exotic spirits crafted from both imported and indigenous raw materials. Distillers will also present exciting new ventures in wines and agave-based spirits, highlighting the dynamic future of Goa’s beverage industry.
The festival will offer a rich culinary journey. Moving beyond coconut and cashew-based dishes, the food curation will embrace ingredients such as banana flower, kokum, raw jackfruit, Bimla (bimbli), and mango, bringing together authentic Saraswat, Konkan, and Christian cuisines, alongside contemporary Goan fusion creations. Innovative cocktail pairings will further enhance the gastronomic experience.

Festivalgoers can engage in a host of immersive activities, including masterclasses on traditional food preparation and mixology, a curated Feni Experience Centre featuring Goa’s top distillers, live demonstrations of Goan arts and crafts, vibrant photobooth with props and the lively cashew stomping sessions which will delight participants of all ages.
The entertainment setup will feature a world-class audio system by Coda (Germany), showcasing Goa’s local talent on a globally benchmarked stage.

The Spirit of Goa Festival
continues to be a cornerstone in the Department of Tourism’s initiatives to promote Goa’s cultural, culinary, and artisanal heritage while supporting the state’s regenerative tourism vision..