Eating Out:
Being a tourist land, you can usually find eateries just about everywhere. But you would do well to note that except for the main cities, vegetarian food is not easily available. As for the non-veggies, this place is a culinary haven. The Goans enjoy meat, especially pork, and all kinds of fresh seafood.

Tracing Portuguese Roots:
Not unnaturally, after 450 years of colonization, in addition to Goan Architecture, Goan cooking too has absorbed a strong Portuguese influence. Palm vinegar, copious amounts of Coconut, Garlic, Tangy Tamarind and fierce local chillies all play their part.

Famous Goan Dishes: Meat
Vindaloo, originally an extra-hot and sour pork curry, but now made with a variety of meat and fish; Chourico red sausages; Sorpotel, a hot curry made from pickled pig's liver and heart; Leitao, suckling pig; Balchao, pork in a rich brown sauce. Delicious alternatives include vinegar chicken, spicy chicken or Mutton Xacutti, made with a sauce of lemon juice, Peanuts, Coconut, chillies and spices.

Sea Food:
The range of seafood, often cooked in fragrant masalas, is excellent - Clams, Mussels, Crab, Lobster, Giant Prawns - while Fish, depending on the type, is either cooked in wet curries, grilled or baked in Tandoor clay ovens. Try Ape de Camarao, a spicy prawn pie with a rice and Semolina crust. Sannam, like the south Indian iddli, is a steamed cake of fermented rice flour, but here fermented with palm Toddy. Bebinca, a rich, delicious solid Egg Custard with coconut, is a traditional Goan sweet that everyone loves.

Fruits:
Like all tropical beach countries, Goa has a host of fruits to offer. These include Pineapple, Melon, Banana, Pawpaw, Custard Apple etc. But Goa's best is MANGO. One can find a huge variety of them but the sweetest, the most luscious and the most ravishing in taste, are the "Alphonso", the "Fernandina" and the "Malcorada", and without exaggeration, the best in the world.

Pastries:
Pastries are served with most meals. The popular ones here are: Bebinca, Doce, Cokad, Dodol, Bolinhas and Jia de Aronhas.

Cocktails:
Goan Port Wine, a sweeter and cheaper version of its Portuguese namesake, is ubiquitous, served chilled in large wine glasses with a slice of lemon. Local whiskies, brandies, rums, gins and vodkas come in a variety of brand names come at affordable prices a shot. The local specialty Feni made from distilled cashew or from the juice of coconut palms offers branded drinks strong competition.