Still traditional, but people are open to the exotic

The Christmas lunch is the most important lunch during the feast. The table is laden with goodies of all sorts, mostly non vegetarian and the odd vegetarian fare for the sake of balance. It is an exhibition of the talent of the lady of the house. Is the table laden with exotic delicacies like roasted turkey or a pigling or even wild boar meat. Or will it be traditional Goan fare this time? For people around Goa, it was a time to enjoy themselves while eating. Richard Dias said he was sure there were people in Goa who would like Turkey but he said his family preferred typical Goan fare. Pork, he said, was central with roast pork being prepared with Sarpotel or Vindaloo. There would be chicken, he said there would be many dishes on the table. Meats, he said, would play a large part. Beef, chicken and salted tongue. He smiled and said some vegetarian fare like salads would also be present. He said,” The party will go on. The weather is great these days, there will be great dishes and great music. It will make for a great Christmas.” For Karen Tiwari the exotic dishes were not important. She said she liked traditional stuff like meat loaf, vindaloo. Now with the kids not at home, she said she would be going to a friend’s house for potluck. It would be very interesting with several people having been invited for lunch. She said she would be taking Sarpotel. For British national Kanchan Gatward however it would be lunch which would include roast turkey, ham and lamb with roast potatoes, a dish called pigs and blanket, red cabbage, Yorkshire pudding and various kinds of sauces. There would be vegetables like broccoli, carrots and beans also available. She said she would get the turkey from Magson which she said met her standards. This would be followed by Christmas cake and mince pies. Friends, she said, would come for Christmas and it would be a happy occasion. Neil Ribeiro who would be hosting a party for sixty people said the menu would feature either turkey or pigling but this time it would be a roasted Still traditional, but people are open to the exotic and cut up stuffed pigling. He said he would get together people who don’t have their families here and some families who were now part of the extended family. There would be carols and Santa Claus would come and everyone would be dressed in white, green and a red theme. It would be a great party with great food and music. Melroy Fernandes said they had reduced their meat intake to just chicken and pork so that would be that. Grace, however, said that nothing would be cooked in her house since they would go to her in-laws house. They did not do turkey and stuck to the conventional menu which would include sorpotel and roast chicken. With quality, quantity is also important. Vera Dias said they would prepare traditional Goan dishes like roast pork, Sorpotel and pulao. She said, “We cook a lot for lunch. Sorpotel will be made and it will last right till New Year. The family and the extended family will be present. Dinner will be out with friends. I can confidently say we will all gain a few kilos.” Roasted pigling will feature in Lydia Fernandes lunch. She said it would be roasted and local dishes like Sarpotel, beef roast with Goan masala and tongue roast which was a favourite in the family. It would be a good heart lunch, she said. For professional entertainer, Andre de Souza, it would mean lunch at a restaurant where he would be singing. The lunch package he said would include wine and turkey which was the meat of Christmas and there would be roast suckling which is pure Goan. It would be a hearty lunch. The Christmas lunch is an important feature on Christmas Day and will continue to remain so. The menu seems to largely stay the same though in time there could be changes.