Travelling to a new place can be exciting, and there are times when you want to take home interesting memories. And, some of these memories can be related to the food you eat.
So, instead of buying branded masalas available at local supermarkets and stores, tourists today are opting to buy homemade products.
Among those selling home-crafted items is Ninoshka Fernandes, who makes local wines at home.
“We put up our stalls at many pop-up events and do get a lot of tourists who buy them. Some who have tried our products earlier come back and buy them in bulk,” says Ninoshka, who believes that women empowerment is important for the economy.
"Tourists from Bombay, Bangalore and Pune love our homemade range,” she adds.
Luiza Fernandes, who co-runs Chef Peter’s Kitchen, says, “My husband runs a restaurant in Pilerne, which is frequented by a lot of tourists. If they like a dish, they prefer to buy the masala we make, too.”
"Sometimes they even gift these masalas to their friends and family back home,” says Luiza, busy attending to customers. Their fastest selling masalas are curry masala, Cafreal, Xacuti and various Goan pickles and chutneys.
In the quest to promote Goa and Goan culture to tourists visiting the state, Asha Arondekar, who runs the Global to Local store in Panjim, sells over 300 products which are made by local women.
In the quest to promote Goa and Goan culture to tourists visiting the state, Asha Arondekar, who runs the Global to Local store in Panjim, sells over 300 products which are made by local women.
“These days, tourists expect very local products made in Goan homes and kitchens and not mass produced in factories. The taste, when products are made at home, is different from those made in factories,” says Asha, who has around 100 women producing items for her. The store also has an option where people can buy products online.
Nakul Rajput, who comes to Goa often, loves the food that Goans make at home.
“The taste of Goan curry at a small restaurant will be completely different compared to what you eat at a very commercial restaurant. So, I prefer to buy masalas which have an authentic taste, and are not made with preservatives,” says Nakul.
Like Nakul, Aishwaraya who comes to Goa on vacation, takes home not just cashew nuts, but also packets of recheado masala.
“A friend’s mother makes tasty masalas, and once when she took me to her place, she made me eat some fish coated with recheado. Since then, I’ve asked her to prepare it for me. She knows exactly how spicy I want it to be. So, instead of buying from other vendors, I buy it from her,” says Aishwarya.
Goa is exploring itself through tourism; eating authentic and buying from locals is what tourists prefer. Hyper-local is the key to keeping tourists wanting more and returning for it.
And, if you're visiting Goa, and want to purchase delicious freshly prepared local masalas, here's who you can get in touch with the following:
NAME OF THE VENDOR: Luiza Fernandes
LOCATION: Pilerne, Bardez
CONTACT: +91 9822102388
NAME OF THE VENDOR: Ninoshka Fernandes
LOCATION: Donwaddo, Saligao, Bardez
CONTACT: +91 9168392724
NAME OF THE VENDOR: Global to Local
LOCATION: Tarcar Mansion, Fountainhas, Panjim
CONTACT: +91 80103 67153