Goan cuisine is pretty much incomplete without vinegar toadd that sour flavour that is so famously associated with its food. It has beenaround longer than we realise. In Goa, vinegar made from toddy is most popularand Goan food bereft of this important ingredient makes it incomplete. One canusually procure this chefs secret helper in the market place where the womensell it in conspicuous looking, used alcohol bottles. When asked where thisvinegar actually comes from the women selling them are hesitant to answer.Almost as if it’s a well-kept secret! “We get them from Chandor, exactly where-we can’t tell you”, says a vendor in Margao with a secret smile on her face.You can even get the bottle sealed and taken out of the country as there isnothing quite like homemade vinegar.
Toddy vinegar worksvery well in vindalho, sorpotel, xacuti and is broadly used in soups, saladdressings, dips and recipes. When mixed with your choice of spices, the coconutvinegar suddenly transforms into a uniquely flavoured table sauce which can beused for dipping.
Another kind of vinegar- which is actually more of a dyingart is the kind made from pineapple. The process involved here takesapproximately 15 days. Maria Carvalho, from Margão, one of the few people whoactually make this vinegar, amongst other things says, “This kind of vinegar isnot usually used in households. Toddy is more popular, and therefore the marketdemand for it is non-existent. Also, toddy vinegar available in markets todaymay well be adulterated, as a lot of the manufacturers use acetic acid from thepharmacies to produce the once authentic vinegar.”
Natural coconut vinegar is rich in vitamins, such aspotassium beta-carotene, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous and sodium, andalso contains anti-oxidants which make this natural food such a great part ofyour diet for the benefits it provides. So the next time you use vinegar whilemaking your Goan delicacy, remember that this ingredient can actually enhanceyour dish in a unique yet subtle fashion.
