Every
year, come spring (or what India considers the first season of the
year), there is a very happy gathering, that somehow seems to bring
people forth (and together), no matter how popular, socialite-y or
motley, from every Goan nook and cranny. It’s what they call the
Cashew Trail, over at Park Hyatt.
Long story
short, or as short as I can attempt to make it anyway, the Cashew
Trail is a gathering that celebrates the harvest of the cashew apple.
According to Mac Vaz, one of the driving forces behind the Madame
Rosa Distillery, who pushed for this event to come to life half a
decade ago, “It is Goa’s equivalent of Baisakhi.”
Now
for those who aren’t in sync with what goes on here, if you love
anything to do with cashew, this is a ‘must witness’ event. I
personally have a love-hate relationship with feni. Hate, because it
has a strong and oddly permeating…let’s just say ‘aroma’, for
want of a better term. Love, because I think it lends immense brand
value to the state. We have, in feni, our very own tequila, of sorts.
It’s a huge draw for locals and tourists alike. So an event which
celebrates that, to me, is brilliant.
The
event lasts a sum total of about 10 days, and has a host of
activities that range from eclectic, to bizarre, to homely. The
eclectic include the likes of having feni-infused frappes
and schnapps. The homely include the likes of having a massive
brunch gathering which even saw people from Latin America present on
the premises, on the final day of the event. As for the bizarre, well
if you haven’t seen Goa’s renowned compere and stand-up comedian,
Jeffrey Manuel, ride a Segway and turn into a feni sommelier, you
really haven’t seen it all just yet.
However, I
can rapidly see this, if pushed in the right direction, turn into
another Sula Fest, to be honest. An event of massive proportions
where the world can assemble to witness the many wonders that cashew
has to offer. After all, we may have borrowed wine from the west, but
feni (and for that matter, its first distillation, urrack) is our
very own, isn’t it? In keeping with this philosophy, the event had
events lined up, such as an event of fine dining, where food was
paired with drinks that were cashew related; and a gathering focused
on stomping of cashew apples.
Something
else that I took back from this 10 day-long bonanza was the fact that
at times, some of us living in Goa, have a bit of a disconnect, from
all things Armed Forces-related. Maybe it’s our history that we
share with the rest of the country. However, we need to give them
their due, as they in turn give us ours. The Cashew Trail this year
decided that needed to be a theme of sorts, and as such, even
launched a new brand of feni, named, Bullet Proof which is housed in
a bullet shaped bottle. In addition to this, the auction of an oak
cask feni barrel ensured that Rs 1 Lakh was raised for the Armed
Forces Flag Day Fund, which was a heartening sight.
As the last
day of the event slowly began to grind to a halt, prizes were given
out, and were handed out by none other than Goa’s political
heavyweight, Churchill Alemao, who at the end of it all, burst into
song; and no, I’m not a conspiracy theorist. It really did happen.
So
think about it, closely. How often do you come across an event, which
permits you to revel in something unique to Goa, raises money for a
worthwhile cause, and has Churchill singing to boot? Not many, I bet.
It’s time well spent, and now I’m beginning to rack my brain to
see if there are any other causes such as these on which we can trail
and become happy campers.
