It’s sometimes fairly a great feeling to indulge in the ecstasy of pure bliss. And there are way different forms to do so. The gala event (of bliss) should have the potential to just bind all your forces together and not let you be free from its spell. And what can be pure bliss? The fact is – it can be anything or everything to anybody or everybody. To find solace to read is a bliss for a reader, to see one’s kids grow up is a bliss for a mother, to find God is bliss for a spiritual seeker, and for me to find a sumptuous meal in the middle of nowhere, while on a journey is a state of pure bliss. The exploring of the new place is like doing R&D which has the capacity to keep you enchanted for quiet some time, but when this some time of adventure is finished, you can only make this adventure complete by having good food. It has all the possible potential to make your trip or mar your trip. It’s a fact. The finest trip in terms of such voluptuous meals was in Goa. You can just not forget the fusion food ~ the Indian and the Portuguese. And then if not compelled to visit all the churches there, you can just spend your time eating and eating and you go on eating. And for the ones who enjoy drinking it’s the place you’ll be hooked all your life.

My hysteric impulses were so on the top that just landing in Goa made me gaga over it. To eat can be the only goal for a traveler is really not the fashion right now, but I admit for me sometimes this is the only target. Actually, the truth is sometimes my vacations are planned to such places where you can get some great authentic local food which are not that common otherwise. Goa is all-famous for its vindaloo curry; pork vindaloo is the ace player in the list of the menu card, that’s where my journey of providing bliss to my stomach began. Use of red wine with the garlic, ginger and other Indian spices made it soooper hit, and that’s why I think this dish has traveled overseas too.
My Goa trip was gaining popularity with my taste buds and me. Then the Crab Xacuti (shakuti) came my way, it was hard for me to pronounce it so I just placed my finger over it on the menu card. I was waiting curiously as to what will come. It was a roadside-eating joint, with thatched roof, and the vinegary smell all over, and here came my Crab Xacuti. It was a brown black curry with red crab lying in the center of the plate, served with rice. Initially it was not something wonderful to have, but later I start liking its tangy, hot, sour taste. It was nice.

The exploration of food went on till I got hold of Sanna, pure white dumplings, glistening smooth surface, sitting pretty on the dish that I forced myself to politely damage that poor man’s aura of blissful eating, and asked what is it he was indulging in?? Sanna, that’s what they called it. You know it looked like Idli (rice cakes) of extreme southern India. But these Sannas were the excellent thing I ever had, mildly sweetened rice spongy cakes, they just melt in your mouth, light and beautiful to look at, I suppose I was in love with it from the time I saw it. Yea it was love at first sight.

And yes it was not just bliss it was absolute bliss to eat them. It has toddy in it, which I suppose is the fermented palm drink, and is alcoholic, but naahh!!! I did not mind the alcohol in Sanna or may be the alcohol in it left me with no mind… any idea!!! But Sanna is the best thing I ever had.
The other sumptuous meal was fried Pomfret fish and rice. But adversity stroked my nasal cords when it was time to have Bombay duck, a fish with excruciating odor, which was a bit much. I had it fried, coated with some barter and then it was all good to go.

Sorepotel became another dish that was kind of a good try but not popular with me. It was a meat preparation with internal organs of the animal (offal) and frankly I never bothered to investigate the kind and nature of these so called internal organs. I had to taste it or else this foodie traveler will face shame in her own sight. And yes I ordered this curry, which was red brown in color, served with rice, the gravy was too sharp, that hit you hard on your tongue, but still not that bad when had with rice. The meat and organs are chopped that it was hard for me to find out what is what, and neither I took the trouble for it.

Certainly this kind of bon appetit ordeal has its own bliss. The fine taste and then not so fine taste are a part of a cuisine as the good times and bad times are a part of life. This is how you maintain an equilibrium and harmony in life and while traveling too. Keep traveling and keep trying new food to keep up the zest of life.

Photo Credit: Aguada Beach Resort – Wikipedia

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