5 minute read
The Goan Culinary Club.
Where there is food and passion, there is love. Add Goa to the mix, and you have a bunch of passionate professional food lovers called the Goan Culinary Club.
Started in 2012 by co-founders Odette & Joe Mascarenhas and Rene & Maria Barreto, the Goan Culinary Club has grown leaps and bounds over the years. The purpose of forming the club was simple – Unite like-minded professionals in the hospitality industry to take Goa and Goan food to the world, and elevate the standard of the food industry in Goa. Over the years, in order to meet the increasing demand for projecting quality cuisine to tourists visiting the state, the club has evolved to involve professionals catering to other popular cuisines as well.
With humble beginnings, the Club started meeting at members’ establishments once a month. These monthly meetings always had one thing in common.-Great camaraderie, passionate discussions, an exchange of knowledge and Oh did I mention?... Great food!
The variations in Goan cuisine The Hindu Goan preparations, the Christian Goan Food, the Goan Portuguese preparations and Goan Saraswat food were discussed and hashed out in detail with tastings of each thrown into every meeting. Competitions conducted during meetings to gauge the best Chicken Cafreal, Fish Curry and the best Xacutti/Shagoti received a tremendous response with each proud chef bringing in his or her version, with an eye on authenticity and the prize. Various aspects of Goan cuisine were discussed from the numerous types of chillies available along the length and breadth of Goa and their contribution to the variety in flavours of dishes like Fish Kodi ,Fish Hooman , Chicken Xacutti and Chicken Shagoti, to the unique and distinctive breads made by the local ‘Poder’.
Local women were invited to share recipes and tastings of dishes passed down over generations. In turn, member hotels were encouraged to use local ingredients from local farmers, serve Goan food and Goan breads on their regular buffets to educate tourists on the rich and vibrant culinary heritage of Goa.
The focus of the club has always been spreading knowledge, education and awareness. Prior to the pandemic, in order to inculcate love for our Goan cuisine, members visited schools and colleges to give talks and demos on Goan Food. To connect and involve the local community, the Goan Culinary Club has a couple of annual events that have over the years drawn a great response.
The Goenchem Fest is a true celebration of everything Goan. Members set up stalls with traditionally Goan and Goan-inspired food. This year, hosted at the Hilton Goa Resort, Saipem, the festival boasted Goan-inspired dishes like Prawn Balchao Sushi, Goan rice aranchini with Goan curry dip, and Cafreal Shawarma along with the local traditionals like Vohn , Empanadas and Caju Bea (seed) curry. Local musicians performing foot tapping music knitted the whole evening together.
The Goan Chefs Conclave organised by the Goan Culinary Club draws Chef’s, F & B Managers and General Managers from across the state and provides a platform for knowledge sharing and peer interaction and gives them an opportunity to learn from the best in the industry.
In the words of Zig Ziglar - “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great! ” The Goan Culinary Club organises the annual Chef Masci’s award and provides a rolling trophy for the
"Best Goan Student Chef of the Year" toencourage students to take their passion for Goanfood to a different level and whisk up elaborate dishes worthy of any starred hotel chef.
The pandemic had a profound effect on the activities of the club. Despite the huge losses to the hospitality industry over the last year, the club has focussed on giving back to the underprivileged and marginalised sections of society. From providing food for patients at the height of the second wave of the pandemic at the Goa Medical College (GMC), and a Christmas party for children with AIDS, to regularly providing milk powder for abandoned babies, members have opened up their hearts, their purses and their talents without hesitation. The club has decided henceforth, to continue this spirit of giving by donating a percentage of their proceeds to a charitable cause close to their hearts for every event that they do.
From traditionally being referred to derogatorily as bawarchee, the Goan Culinary Club has put the chef right out, front, and centre, where he or she belongs. The road is long but the journey has begun.
Follow the Goan Culinary Club on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/goanculinaryclub
