Goan cuisine is a sentimental fusion of cultures and senses – the result of the turbulent history of South Western India. It has been created through the centuries by the co-existence of various cultures and religions, most notably: the Hindu, Muslim and Portugese Christian communities. The colonial past shaped the local cuisine. New flavours were adopted and softened the stigma of colonial oppression. During this time, this Indo-European cuisine became an important mark of Goa’s identity. Today, the cuisine is a symbol of being Goan that connects with the sensual and sentimental landscape of the coast – its smells of fish curry and has an unusual melancholy, called saudade de Goa.
Keywords: Goan cuisine, India, saudade, edible chronotopes, colonialism, rasa theory