Hi,i really remember Orchata. My father used to buy it from Coelhos ,it was somwhere near longuinhos ,it was in a simple bottle with a green label on it Really enjoyed it Cheers!!!
Lewis Sequeira Vaz On Mon, 29 Jun, 2020, 9:24 PM Goanet Reader, <goanetrea...@gmail.com> wrote: > A discussion on Orchata started off on the Goa-Research-Net > (Yahoogroups) recently, after Dr Leopoldo da Rocha commented: > "This reminds me of another soft drink that was served only in > solemn occasions, such as weddings etc., normally in landed > gentry houses. Its name is orchata. After decolonization, it > ceased to exist in Goa, at least during my time. Here in > Portugal I asked many people. Nobody knew a drink by the > name of orchata. Curiously, many years ago while on holidays > in Benidorm (Spain), I saw the drink called 'horchata'. It > tasted exactly as the one of my childhood. The monumental > Dictionary of the Portuguese Language by the Bazilian author > Houaiss, of Lebanese stock, does register the term 'orchata'. > It is a soft drink made of ground almonds. Etymologically it > is a Spanish word introduced in 1734. I presume only in Goa > and Spain." Below is the story of the recent revival of the > drink in Goa itself.... > > By Eunice Lima Fernandes De Sa > > For me, it was not the great nutritional value of almonds > (omega 3 fatty acids, proteins, fibres, Vit E) or its health > benefits, like being antioxidant, lowering blood sugars, > cholesterol, pressure or helping in skin tone, that attracted > me to this almond drink called Orchata. It has always been > the taste. > > I have loved it as my summer cooler, winter warmer, as a > teenager, nursing mother, and now as a senior. > > Being in the field of education, I always felt the > need to encourage in my students the love for > home-made foods and beverages. Having discouraged > in them the consumption of fizzy and aerated > drinks, I had no other choice but to experiment > with yummy and healthy beverage solutions...what > a better way than to introduce them to that which we > enjoyed as kids? At home, I was always ensured > that milk went smoothly down the throat when > accompanied by Orchata. > > It was easily available in some of the outlets of the > yesteryears -- Capuccina and Loja Agni in Panjim. A > production of the Family of Coelhos, along with Xarope de > Brindao, it used to be very popular. > > Unfortunately, it went out of market in the late 1990s. > > Longing for it, I had no option but venture to make it. My > first guinea-pig was my mother, and she couldn't tell what it > was. But later it passed a sibling test and I began gifting > it to family and friends. > > Having no recipes as such to lean on, and depending only on > my taste buds, after 13 odd years of working on it, I can say > that I have achieved the perfect taste which *my* preparation > of Orchata has to have. > > It's been years, and we all love Orchata in the family. This > year, my daughter-in-law Efigenia decided to share it with a > wider circle. > > During the 1960s, our food and drink had a strong influence > of the Portuguese cuisine. In fact, I lived in Fontainhas > and had Portuguese families as neighbours at the side and > front of my house. > > I remember growing up eating manteiga Dinamarquesa > -- butter from Denmark, bacalhao and chourico de > reino from Portugal, cabidel do Patto, feizoada, > sarapatel, great fish and prawns from Chorao (my > village). Also picking up my own beans from the > field. Freshly picked, boiled and eaten... all > ingredients for great memories. > > Bebinca, bolo sans rival, fios de ovos, dedos de dama, bolo > de mil folhas are sweet memories too. Some still exist and > are popular even today. > > We belong to a generation that has seen and eaten tasty. We > had enough but never too much, so we used the resources at > hand, be it fruit, vegetables, the sun, etc. Food and > preservation have evolved around our seasonal resources. > > Living on the scenic banks of the River Mandovi, in Ribandar, > just across Chorao and 10 minutes from Panjim, I think of the > good simple times. > > When I retired and heard parents complaining about children > having fizzy drinks and not wanting to drink milk, I thought > it time to introduce them to Orchata, xarope de brindao, aam > panna, lime juice, etc., all made from seasonal fruits and > with great health benefits. > > It worked! The fall-out benefit was that I was able to > salvage the neglected kokum (also called the bin'na), the > green mangies from a fallen branch etc. Also the pulp > inspired me to make jams and pickles, since they have great > antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. > > As we reached out to more people with our summer > coolers, we realise that they were waiting for the > taste of Orchata. I'm happy to provide these > coolers and happier with the response and > creativity of my well-wishers. We've had a variety > of cocktails and mocktails being created with all > three, and beautiful pictures posted. > > Now you are getting all the coolers, jam, pickles and > chocolates from my personal kitchen. But we are thinking of > expanding and looking for a place, equipment, material, etc. > > -- > Eunice Lima Fernandes De Sa can be contacted via WhatsApp +91 > 99228 53736. Her Orchata and other preparations have been > widely appreciated on the 'Goa Menus' Facebook group and > other networks in Goa. > > Goanet Reader is edited and produced by Frederick Noronha. >