PANAJI
After securing Geographical Indication (GI) status for five traditional products earlier this year, Goa is now seeking GI recognition for another set of iconic products deeply rooted in the State's culinary and cultural heritage, including Goa coconut, Goa salt, Goan pao/poi/undo, Goan doce and Goa recheado masala.
Applications, submitted in December, last year, are currently at different stages of scrutiny before the GI Registry.
The Bardez Taluka Farmers Producer Company Limited has applied for a GI tag for Goa coconut, while the Tiswadi Taluka Farmers Producer Company Limited has sought GI recognition for Goa salt and Goa recheado masala. The Department of Science, Technology and Waste Management (DST&WM) has filed applications for Goan doce and the traditional Goan bread varieties – pao, poi and undo.
As per the application, Goa coconut represents one of the State's oldest and most culturally significant crops. Cultivated for over a millennium along Goa's coastal belt, the coconuts are known for their rich flavour, high oil content and extensive use in local cuisine, rituals and traditional livelihoods.
The application for Goa salt traces its origins to the ancient khazan ecosystem, a unique network of reclaimed saline lands developed nearly 1,500 to 2,000 years ago along the Mandovi, Zuari, Sal and Chapora river estuaries. Traditional salt production in Goa evolved from indigenous tidal management systems involving bunds, sluice gates and clay embankments, making it distinct from later colonial-era practices.
Goa recheado masala, a fiery spice blend central to Goan seafood preparations, has also been projected as a product with a unique regional identity shaped by local ingredients and centuries of culinary evolution.
Sources said the GI Registry has raised certain queries regarding the applications for Goan poi/pao/undo, doce and recheado masala and has sought clarifications from the applicants and the State government.
In January this year, Goa received GI recognition for Goa Cashew Apple, Mussarad mango, Maang-Hilario mango, Khorgut Rice and Taleigao Brinjal. The State already boasts GI tags for several celebrated products, including Mancurad mango, bebinca, Agassaim Brinjal, seven-sided okra (saat shiro bhendo), Moira Banana, Harmal chillies, feni, Khola chillies and khajem.
