Fiestas or Fests as it is called in Goan culture is meant to be a traditional feast of sumptuous food, drinks, music, dance and fun where people come together to celebrate life and the good times. 

We couldn’t find a better name to give to our passion project than GoanFest which is founded by a group of food enthusiasts on a journey of discovering and sharing their love for good food, health, local ingredients and recipes.

We are travel buffs at heart and the one thing that stayed with us from our numerous trips to Goa was the sumptuous food we kept having, a pot-pouri of flavors that had trickled down from many different cultures across the world and into our plates!

This lead us to go on an exciting food trail journey across the beautiful landscape of Goa, into uncharted villages and farms where they grew their own food. They were culinarians in their own right, creating miracles one meal at a time using recipes passed down over generations.

What we discovered during these many expeditions was a treasure trove of secret local ingredients that were extremely tasty and had innumerable health benefits but were somehow not yet part of the popular foods bandwagon!

Here’s sharing just a few gems we discovered from within this treasure chest -

- Cashew Apple, a completely untapped magic fruit and one of the richest source of Vitamin C, 5 times more than oranges! It’s also packed with antioxidants that help you burn fat while tasting juicy, pulpy and sweet.

- Bimli and Starfruit – These miracle fruits, sour, tangy and sometimes with a tinge of sweetness, for those that like a twist in the tale. They make really amazing juices and pickles that naturally help control sugar levels, so you can have that one more bite without feeling guilty!

- Kokum - traditional souring agent historically used in curries across the konkan region, but rarely makes its way to mainstream food. It’s great for the hair, skin and also helps build immunity naturally!

- Goan Triphala peppers are what adds the punch to all the Goan curries, it’s mouth numbing sensation is why you keep coming back for more! Our culinary experts combined these with the heat of GI tagged Goan Khola and Hermal chilles to design our signature hot sauces!

In our journey of discovery, we also want to give back to the local communities that have given so much to us through the years so they also can earn their due. Most of our fruits, vegetables, spices and herbs are grown from our own farms using organic techniques and by likeminded farmers. We have created a supply chains that buys directly from the local farmers while making sure that our organic agronomic practices are followed. We are also adding value by creating a market for relatively unknown and underexploited but nutritionally rich gems grown in the kokan region. 

This journey is the most exciting part for us, it’s a path we want to keep taking, discoveries we want to keep making, stories we want to keep sharing! Come join us on this adventure, we know that Kokan, Goa and Malabar are yet to reveal their entire culinary secrets.