A Meaty History of Goan Chouris
The Portuguese chorizo was embraced by local Goan cuisine, and morphed into the ubiquitous Goan sausages or chouris. Mini Ribeiro documents the frenzied activity of smoking and sun-drying across homes in the state, and the nuanced varieties of chouris in Goa.
Susegad Goa and its languid rhythm are challenged in many homes, especially in the monsoon. In Clarina Moraes’ South Goa home, there is a flurry of frenetic activity. The air is redolent with the aroma of pork meat, spices and the unmistakably pungent scent of palm vinegar. She hurriedly plucks strings of small smoked sausages and dumps them into a tub, then hangs out a new batch in the smoke chamber. Strings of sausages are laid out, intertwined on bamboo poles in the kitchen and in the smoking room, at the back of her spacious village home. Part of the family business of selling home-made sausages in Margao, together with her husband Peter, this is now a daily ritual. The demand for chouris is tremendous.
“Our sausages are smoked, not sun-dried, so this process can continue on, during the rainy season as well. We use coconut husk and firewood to lend a smoky flavour, in a special smoke chamber that we have created. If the sausages are only sun-dried, some amount of moisture still remains, and over a period of time, can spoilt the meat. So the smoke chamber is very necessary,” explains Clarina.
The modern word ‘sausage’ owes its origin to the Latin word Salsus, meaning salted. The term was used originally for cured or salted meat. In Goa, sausages, or the iconic chouris — the Konkani name for Portuguese chorizo — do not denote the smoked charcuterie of the West-English Bangers or the Slovenian Kransky, but are inspired by the chorizo, and to an extent longaniza, made with minced meat. Chorizo came in with the Portuguese in 1510; the Christians of Goa embraced new ingredients and pork became an integral part of the local diet. Four centuries of Portuguese rule made local Goan food a fusion of flavours and ingredients, and chouris is no exception.
The recipe for the Portuguese chourizo — fermented, cured sausages, with a fiery red colour that came from smoked peppers, was altered to suit the local palate, as well as the availability of ingredients. Garlic, spices, and toddy vinegar surreptitiously crept in, imparting Goan sausages a distinctive flavour and identity.
Essentially, coiled links of Goan sausage, are chunky pieces of pork (a good mix of fat and meat) with just the right amount of spice; while chorizo are fiery red torpedoes that release flavour when fried.
Made of cured meat, chorizo was the perfect food for sailors, keeping well over long sea voyages. The locals too welcomed chorizo, especially during the monsoon when small fishing boats and canoes could not venture into the sea, and fish was hard to procure. These pork sausages offered an alternative source of protein.
The process of making chouris is painstaking and meticulous. Espertina Victoria Dacosta, who runs a family business making sausages in Raia, founded by her mother-in-law, sells them at the store, Cecilia’s in Margao, in South Goa. “Selecting the pork, cleaning, and cubing, is critical.” She adds, “The meat is then cured by adding salt, and placed in a cane basket called faan, covered with a heavy weight, to help drain off moisture released by the salt. The cured pork is then combined with a marinade of spices, garlic and toddy vinegar, stuffed into cleaned cattle gut, and usually smoked. This imparts an intense, sharp flavour. Copious amounts of vinegar are added, to prevent the meat from spoiling.”
Over the last decade there has been a huge upsurge of interest in smoking chouris, rather simply sun drying and then smoking, as was previously tradition in most homes. Clarina explains, “This is primarily because nowadays, no one selling chouris commercially wants to risk the meat spoiling.”
Dr R Solomon Rajkumar, a veterinary doctor and a scientist at ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute, Old Goa, has completed a thesis on the Goan pork sausage, titled, ‘Production, quality attributes and consumption pattern of ethnic Goan pork sausages.’ He explains, “When salt is added to any food product while cooking, and water is released, scientifically it is known as water activity. After the product is done, if hygienic practices are followed, the meat is safe to be consumed.” He goes on to add, “The Portuguese would add wine as a preservative. After coming to Goa, they used toddy vinegar to substitute wine. In North Goa, a dash of Feni is included, as alcohol kills bacteria.”
Even within Goa, there is a North-South distinction on chouris. The tiny rosary sausages of South Goa, named for the beads of a Catholic rosary, are attractive and brightly red. Espertina discloses, “The younger generation prefers a bright red hue, so we are compelled to add permitted food colours.” By far the most popular variety, rosary sausages are sold daily on a per-piece basis in Madgaon market, largely by women who make them at home. The bigger sausages, called King size, are made-to-order.
Rosary chouris | Image credit Wikicommons
The larger, Horse-Shoe shaped variety of sausage is associated with North Goa, and although less vibrant in appearance, owing to a duller colour, carry more pronounced flavours thanks to a higher spice-to-meat ratio. Many believe that these are loosely based on Alheira, the horse-shoe chicken sausages of the Portuguese Jews, dating back to the time of Inquisition.
Horseshoe-shaped chouris | Image by Joshua Pereira
Octogenarian housewife, Olivia Gomes of Santa Estevam village in North Goa reminisces, “Traditionally piglings, brought and reared by the family, were used to make sausages. We would salt the meat, place it under a weight overnight in a colander, and then wash it next morning. It was then stuffed into casings, and then sun-dried. And only in the monsoon would it hang above a chulah, to smoke – after they had been sundried. Sausages were only ever made at home, and in large numbers, for the family to enjoy throughout the year. People from North Goa would never sell sausages, and made them only for home consumption. But things have changed, and some families prefer to buy sausages from the market now.”
Juicy, moist, and with just the right amount of fat, Goan sausages continue to please palates across the country. Goa’s love affair with the multipurpose sausage has not faded over the centuries, and that has much to do with its versatility. Special occasions in a Goan home always call for a dish or two made with chouris. Loaded in a pao, the flavours of chouris explode in your mouth; a classic pairing. The Sunday special, chouris pulao, is another favourite relished by locals and gourmands alike. A quick meal of sausage chilli fry with potatoes, where the fatty bits render to create a spicy ‘gravy,’ perfect to polish off with poee or pao, is another a beloved meal. Feijoada, a Portuguese-inspired sausage and kidney bean stew, is a lesser known, but deeply treasured dish for those in the know.
Every Goan home, in India and abroad, will always have a stash of these sausages tucked away in the freezer. No Goan ever leaves their home state without them. After all, chouris can rekindle the flavours of home for those who are homesick, and create a satisfying meal in a jiffy.
Banner image credit: Joshua Pereira
Mini Ribeiro is an independent Food & Beverage writer, critic and columnist.
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