PANAJI
More than a decade after cashew feni got it at least five other products including its twin ‘Palm Feni’ distilled from toddy, the mancurado mango and the 12-layered dessert ‘bebinca’ figure on the State government’s target list to earn a geographical indication registration in a bid to build brand Goa and cash in through tourism.
The seven-ridged okra (saat shirecho bendo) and the kunbhi sari make up the list of five products which Chief Minister Pramod Sawant mentioned in his budget speech delivered earlier last month in the Goa legislative assembly as products the government will explore earning a geographical indication registration.
Tourism seems to be the one sector the State government is heavily banking on for a revival of sorts amidst the gloom of a Goan economy badgered by the onslaught of the pandemic, the universal travel restrictions and other measures that hamper the movement of people notwithstanding.
Recent trends in the sector indicate that the State is attracting enough numbers but the class of visitors is an issue of worry for hospitality industry insiders.
The GI-tag on more and more indigenous Goan products the government feels will add value and enrich brand Goa which as a spin-off will attract more and better quality tourists from across the globe.
In his budget speech, Sawant had said: “The focus of Tourism stakeholders and citizens is to prioritize quality tourism over volume-based tourism by promoting the State’s niche culture, rich heritage, natural attractions.”
He said a provision of Rs 2-crore has been made in the budget to ensure GI-tag to local indigenuous products to make them popular on the global map.
“The items being considered for GI-tagging are Mankurad Mango, Bebinca, Coconut Feni, Kunbi Saree and Saat Shiro Bhendi,” he had said in his budget speech.
Once a flourishing business, the making of the kunbi sari is now almost extinct. Goan fashion designer, the late Wendell Rodricks, had extensively researched the garment and is expected to occupy a pride of place in his in-the-making fashion museum ‘Moda Goa’.
In contrast, the mancurado mango, prized for its unique sweet and juicy taste, is widely grown across Goa and harvested in the summer season.
Bebinca is a commonly prepared dessert in Catholic Goan homes on almost every festive occasion and mostly at Christmas. The exotic dessert is also widely produced and sold commercially at many pastry shops and bakeries that dot the Goan landscape.
