''Kuswar'' or ''Kuswad'' is a set of festive sweets and snacks made and exchanged by Christians of the Konkan region in the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...

for the

Christmas season The Christmas season or the festive season, also known as the holiday season or the holidays, is an annual period generally spanning from November or December to early January. Incorporating Christmas Day and New Year's Day, the various celebrat ...

Christmastide Christmastide, also known as Christide, is a season of the liturgical year in most Christianity, Christian churches. For the Catholic Church, Lutheran Church, Anglican Church, Methodist Church and some Orthodox Churches, Christmastide begins ...

. These goodies are major parts of the

cuisine A cuisine is a style of cooking characterized by distinctive ingredients, List of cooking techniques, techniques and Dish (food), dishes, and usually associated with a specific culture or geographic region. Regional food preparation techniques, ...

s of the Goan Catholic community of Goa in the

Konkan The Konkan is a stretch of land by the western coast of India, bound by the river Daman Ganga at Damaon in the north, to Anjediva Island next to Karwar town in the south; with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Deccan plateau to the eas ...

region, and the Mangalorean Catholic community of

Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...

. There are as many as 22 different ethnic recipes that form this distinct flavour of Christmas celebration in Goa and Mangalore. Kuswad is also made and exchanged by Karwari Catholics of Carnataca and the Kudali Catholics of

Sindhudurg Sindhudurg Fort (Marathi pronunciation: in̪d̪ʱud̪uɾɡ is a historical sea fort located in Arabian Sea near the Konkan region of Maharashtra in Western India. The fort, commissioned by Chhatrapati Shivaji, was constructed between 1664 ...

, in the Konkan division of

Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...

''Koswad'', derived from the Indo-Portuguese term '' consoada'', refers to the

dinner Dinner usually refers to what is in many Western cultures the biggest and most formal meal of the day. Historically, the largest meal used to be eaten around noon, midday, and called dinner. Especially among the elite, it gradually migrated to ...

served on

Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas, the festival commemorating nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus. Christmas Day is observance of Christmas by country, observed around the world, and Christma ...

; it is synonymous with the Christmas spirit of "

sharing Sharing is the joint use of a resource or space. It is also the process of dividing and distributing. In its narrow sense, it refers to joint or alternating use of inherently finite goods, such as a common pasture or a shared residence. Still ...

" for the Bombay East Indian Catholics in their native Maharashtri Konkani dialects. Koswad ranges from kidyos and nevryos, to

Christmas cake Christmas cake is a type of cake, often fruitcake, served at Christmas time in many countries. British variations Christmas cake is an English tradition that began as plum porridge. A traditional English Christmas cake is made with moist Zan ...

s, duck roasts,

marzipan Marzipan is a confectionery, confection consisting primarily of sugar and almond meal (ground almonds), sometimes augmented with almond oil or extract. It is often made into Confectionery, sweets; common uses are chocolate-covered marzipan and ...

& other delicacies.

Goa

The kuswar of

Goan Catholics Goan Catholics () are an Ethnoreligious group, ethno-religious community adhering to the Latin Church, Latin Rite of the Catholic Church from the Goa state, in the southern part of the Konkan region along the west coast of India. They are Konka ...

contains as many as 22 different traditional recipes that give a distinct flavour to Christmas celebration in Goa. * ''Perada'' (Guava cheese) is a confection made from savory green

guava Guava ( ), also known as the 'guava-pear', is a common tropical fruit cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions. The common guava '' Psidium guajava'' (lemon guava, apple guava) is a small tree in the myrtle family (Myrtaceae), nativ ...

s and sugar. * '' Kidyo'' or ''Kulkuls'' are a semolina-based confection flavoured with

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (biology), family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, ...

and

cardamom Cardamom (), sometimes cardamon or cardamum, is a spice made from the seeds of several plants in the genus (biology), genera ''Elettaria'' and ''Amomum'' in the family Zingiberaceae. Both genera are native to the Indian subcontinent and Indon ...

. * ''Neuero'' or ''Neuries'' are dough mixed with coconut, cashew nuts, raisins and cardamom and then deep fried. * ''Bebik'' ( Bebinca) is a layered baked dessert made with flour, sugar, coconut milk and

ghee Ghee is a type of clarified butter, originating from South Asia. It is commonly used for cooking, as a Traditional medicine of India, traditional medicine, and for Hinduism, Hindu religious rituals. Description Ghee is typically prepared by ...

. * '' Doce'' (Doce de Grao) is a sweet made using

chickpea The chickpea or chick pea (''Cicer arietinum'') is an annual plant, annual legume of the family (biology), family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae, cultivated for its edible seeds. Its different types are variously known as gram," Bengal gram, ga ...

s and coconut. * ''Marzipan'' is a confection consisting primarily of sugar and almond meal. * ''Bolinhas'' are small cakes also known as coconut cookies made with grated coconut, sugar, semolina, egg yolks and butter. They are flavoured with cardamom, made into a round shape with markings on top, and baked gently. * ''Nankatais'', which resemble snowballs, are made from sugar, butter, and flour, and are beaten until light and white. They are flavoured with vanilla and cardamom, rolled round, and lightly baked. * ''Baath'' is a moist, rich coconut tart baked in a large round shape with pastry lattice work on top. It is flavoured with cardamom and currants. * ''Kormolas'' are sweet coconut pastries rolled out, cut in squares, and shaped into flower buds. * ''Pinarg'' (Pinaca) are cutlet-like sweets made from jaggery and crushed rice. * ''Mango Miskut'' is a confection made from mango pulp and sugar. * ''Tuelinnas'' (Tuelinnas de Coco) are sweets made from coconut. * ''Dodol'' is a type of jaggery and rice pudding.

Mangalore

The kuswar of

Mangalorean Catholics Mangalorean Catholics () are an ethno-religious community of Latin Church in India, Latin Christians from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mangalore, Diocese of Mangalore and the erstwhile South Canara area; by the southern coast of present-day Kar ...

also has traditional recipes. ''Neuero'' or Neuries are puffs stuffed with plums, nuts, and fried theel (sesame) and sugar. '' Kidyo'' or ''Kulkuls'' are curly concoctions dipped in sugar treacle, ''Pathekas'' are savoury of green ''nandarkai'' bananas. Simple salted or sweetened Tukdi (Diamond Cuts), theel Laadus and ''Golios'' are other items found in kuswar. Macaroons is what Manglore is famous for and the subtle flavoured Rose Biscuits are a favourite. The Rich Plum Cake takes the better part of a week to make. Candied fruit, plums, currents and raisins are cut and soaked in rum. Flour is sieved and gently warmed in the sun. Nuts are shelled and chopped and families make the cake together. Jobs are allotted; one whips up the eggs while another creams the butter and sugar, cake tins are lined, and a strong pair of arms are requested to do the final mixing and stirring. The ''Mitais'', ''Mandas'', ''Ushae'', ''Pitae'' & ''Manni'' are well-known, sweet dishes included in the ''kuswar''.

Mumbai (Bombay), Thana (Trombay) & Vasai (Bassein)

The koswad of Bombay East Indian Catholics also includes recipes like thali sweets, donuts, date rolls etc. These are not found among Goans of southern

, Mangaloreans or Karwaris of Carnataca & Damanese of Damaon, Dio & Silvassa.

References

External links

Goan Christmas Sweet Recipe, How to make Christmas Sweets and Savories FlavorsofMumbai.com
{{Indian Dishes Christmas food Indian cuisine Goan cuisine Mangalorean cuisine

Goa

Mangalore

Mumbai (Bombay), Thana (Trombay) & Vasai (Bassein)

See also

References

External links