Come April and you see Cashew everywhere in Goa. Not that you don’t see it rest of the year, but at this time you get the raw cashew that can be used to make pastes and curries or even enjoyed as such. There are cashew festivals everywhere – be it by Goa Tourism or by museums or by the leading hospitality brands. Last week Park Hyatt Goa invited me to their Cashew Trail lunch, which was a culmination of their week-long celebrations all, built around the proud local fruit – Cashew. I am told they organized hiking trips to cashew farms, had a master class on Feni making among and even arranged cashew ritual spas.
Park Hyatt Goa – Cashew Trail Lunch
On a lazy sunny Sunday by the beach in their sprawling lawns shaded by the tall trees the sea breeze kept the temperatures under control. White canopies fluttered against the rich green. Incidentally, a whole lot of guests were wearing white to create a white and green theme for the day. The food counters churned out the flavors of cashew in every dish. As the hero of the day, Cashew was liberally used in the décor all around the venue. Being the vegetarian my options were bound to be limited but I missed the traditional Goan curry in the meal. However, the desserts that were simply yummy more than made this up. I even tried an Ice-Gola or Chuski with a bit of Feni in it.
Guests moved around at leisurely, in a typical Sunday mood as they got their feet massaged wish cashew oil.
Cashew Stomping
In one corner kids were stomping the cashew as used to be traditionally done to make Feni. At a live cooking counter, couples were cooking to win a cooking competition that was judged by India’s leading food writers and bloggers. Live music was being played. I particularly enjoyed the saxophone. Music added another dimension of Goa to the ambiance. Anchors of the events kept the audience engaged by luring them for small sponsored prizes.
Feni Auction
In the end, there was an auction of a lovely jar of Feni that sat elegantly on the traditional Goan Machila. I was told that this auction is done every year to support a charity or a cause.
I got to meet a few food bloggers from Goa and Mumbai. It is always inspiring to meet this self-driven breed. All of them running around with their cameras sampling the food and drinks.
Thank you, Park Hyatt Goa for the lovely hamper. Enjoyed the Chikki and hope to enjoy the Feni and the Chutney too soon enough.
Very nice photos, thanks for sharing..Sad to know there was no vegetarian version of Goan curry. Everyone talks about Goan curry so much!
The stomping and foot massage look like so much fun! And all this with a view of the sea!! Awesome!
Thanks Pragati. Stomping was done by the kids while adults were busy taking photos. Foot massage is always so welcome 🙂
That seems like so much of fun. 🙂
It was fun Niranjan.
Cashew Fruit & Nut – cute photo. Thanks for sharing. Once I tried feni a little.
April – I wish I was in Goa. It is interesting to now more about cashew nuts and its products.
Massage oil ? – A new knowledge. Thanks for writing.
I also got cashew and mango chutney that finished in a single day.