One of India’s most humble yet ubiquitous street foods, Gobi Manchurian, garnered attention at the 9th edition of the Serendipity Arts Festival 2024, months after several civic bodies in the state banned the dish, over issues related to hygiene and use of ingredients of dubious quality.
Food historian and critic Vikram Doctor explored the history of this now-controversial vegetarian dish – a staple at Goan fairs, feasts and street food stalls; during a workshop as part of the Culinary quotient of the festival, curated by Edible Issues. His session delved into shifting labour dynamics in Goa, particularly among migrant workers and examined how food, identity and labour intersect to shape the culture of the state’s cities.
“The whole issue with Gobi Manchurian in Goa started suddenly, which was quite strange because, typically, when you think of Goan food, Gobi Manchurian isn’t something that comes to mind,” Doctor remarked during his session.
Municipal authorities justified the bans on hygiene grounds, citing concerns over harmful additives and low-quality ingredients. However, Doctor argued that these measures reflect more than just health and safety concerns—they also reveal a resistance to cultural influences brought by migrants and migrant food vendors.
“This narrative emerged in the press about outsiders coming to Goa, making and eating Gobi Manchurian, which was labelled unhealthy due to chemicals. Then came claims that these stalls were replacing traditional Goan ones. So I started looking around and investigating,” Doctor explained. His findings revealed that, while locals also enjoy the dish, its primary patrons are construction workers and budget-conscious domestic tourists.
“It’s the workers and budget tourists—not the fancy ones dining on fish thalis—who frequent these stalls. They may seem annoying, but they’re tourists too,” he noted, emphasising that Gobi Manchurian stalls provide affordable and accessible food spaces.
Doctor also touched upon Goan culinary staples like fish and the humble Goan pao, both of which he said are facing declines in quality and availability. Commenting on the state of the iconic pao, he said: “You’re also producing a substandard product because the only way they can produce pao at that price point (government-fixed prices) and still make money is by using really bad quality wheat”.
On the issue of fish, Doctor highlighted a deeper concern: “The larger issue, which isn’t being acknowledged, is that Goa is no longer producing enough fish to meet its own needs. That’s the basic problem,” he said, referencing the recent-past controversy over formalin allegedly being used to preserve fish.
