Goa’s daily dish - fish and curry, is a red chili sauce with dried shrimps or fish added
as flavor. It may include a fried slice of fresh fish (in season) or few sardines and always a hot pickles. It's
eaten at most homes and village  cafes as breakfast and afternoon meal.
It's cheap (from 30 rupees) and filling. Often you will get seconds free of charge  if you are still hungry.
The local  food is very HOT.
If you are on a low budget, eating the local food will cost you a fraction of the cost of
tourist restaurant prices. You can still "survive and be happy" on a $10 a day budget in Goa,
including food, local long term rentals or beach shack accommodations.

 

With 450 years long Portuguese influence there are many meat specialties hard to be
found outside of Goa.
Pork Vindaloo, seasoned with wine, vinegar, garlic, coconut, onions, toddy (palm vine),
and many other Indian spices is a dish not to be missed. Well prepared pork vindaloo is
an gourmet adventure of itself.

 

Portuguese influenced Chicken and fish dishes are another gourmet experience.

 

Feni is the local drink in Goa, made from either coconut or cashew nuts. It's cheap and served in most restaurants.

 

Another treat - Leitao, a suckling pig, roasted and stuffed with chopped green chilies,
heart, liver, is served mainly on festive occasions.
Chicken Xhacut,  Balchao,  Fish Mol,  Sorpotel,  and Bebinca (desert) are some other Portuguese -
Goan dishes. When well prepared,  they are to satisfy any gourmet traveler.

 

Goan fish dishes:

From resorts to beach restaurant shacks, the "today's catch"  seafood  is to be found
everywhere in Goa's coastal areas.  King fish, pomfret, sardines, ladyfish, squid, prawns,
mussels, lobster, and a number of other seafood, sometimes seasonal, will usually be an
unforgettable experience.
The Goal fish can be grilled, fried, or baked in Tandoori ovens and are tasty and succulent
at most times. Goa beach shack restaurants, found on most beaches, offer unbeatable value
as the waiter, if asked,  will show you the fish before preparation of your choice.
Meals in beach shack restaurants will cost you a fraction of what you’ll pay at the resort restaurants.
In beach restaurants, seafood and meat are generally served with chips and salad but you
can order it any way you wish just by asking the waiter.
A delicious Goan bread to order is oven baked Tandoori chappati, nan, pan or sanna.

 

Desserts in Goa
Fresh fruit is served everywhere, beach shacks and resorts alike will serve it fresh from
the tree, and the taste will be incomparable to home " supermarket fruit".
For gourmet " researchers" - Bebinca is made of coconut milk, flour, sugar and other
local spices is a rare find but unforgatanable.
Dodol - the most prized of all local sweets  made of palm syrup, rice flour, coconut, rose
water and other more or less secret local ingredients

 

Indian food at its best is served in upscale Goa resort or hotels restaurants, where the
menus are dominated by North and South Indian dishes. Beach shack restaurants will
serve Indian dishes but there are far from the original not even comparable with dishes in
your local Indian restaurants.

 

Chinese and Thai food is served in most beach restaurants, although it tends to be cooked
by local chefs and is not what you might expect to be authentic. Still (for the price) they
are often a good deal for hungry traveler.

 

Tibetan food brought with seasonal Tibetan immigration to Goa or where families of
Tibetan refugees have settled and opened Tibetan restaurants is east to find. Try Momo
(the legendary Tibetan dumplings) of the Himalayas.

 

Western food in Goa is also widely available in the resorts and beach shacks alike.
Expensive hotels serve buffets and a'la carte menus.

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