Indian kitchen has a wide selection of recipes taken from the different corners of the country. One such place is the tiny state of Goa which is on the western coast. Its main food is seafood, fish, coconut in varied ways and rice. Geographically placed on a tropical warm climate it is naturally blessed with spices which are used liberally in Goan recipes. Along with this the Portuguese settlers in Goa added to the local cuisine. Kokum a local fruit is commonly used in place of tamarind here. Being a coastal place no Goan food is considered complete without fish. As Goa is an international tourist hot-spot, one also finds several outside touches in the food here. The Portuguese brought potato, tomato and pineapples to Goa which was not adopted by the local population for quite some time. Another influence of the Portuguese on the local food was the chilies which have today become an essential part of Goan recipes.
