Food: Goa's pickled food repertoire has a new addition

Necessity is the mother of invention. And this time, it's the Goans who have come up with an innovative solution to get around the beef ban, and cattle traders complaining of 'harassment' at Goa's state borders despite possessing adequate paper work. Fighting a shortage of supply, the Goans have found a peaceful (and spicy) way to cater to their cravings all through the year. Experts at pickling just about anything from brinjal to prawn, fish and of course pork, they have come up with the idea of beef sausages. Made using pretty much the same recipe as Goa's popular pork sausages or Choris, locals couldn't tell us when the new variant hit the market. In fact, when we tried to get our hands on a pack, most seemed clueless. Not even the restaurants that serve beef had it on their menu and most local stores in North Goa didn't stock them.

We finally found them at the Mapusa Market and Big Newton's departmental store in Candolim. The Panjim Municipal Market is another place where one is sure to get them, we were told. The good news is that Costas, the most popular mass producer of all things pickled and Goan, from Balchao to Dodol and Bebinca to ready-to-mix Rechado and Cafreal Masalas, now produces Beef Sausages. This only means one thing; beef sausages are set to become more popular and never again would you be too far away from a succulent portion of beef fry. If you have an option, though, opt for non-branded ones available in Mapusa or Panjim markets; like in the case of the pork variety, locally made beef sausages are more succulent, tastier and fresh.

Tip: Once the label from the packet is removed, it's nearly impossible to differentiate between pork and beef sausages. #JustSaying