''Kuswar'' or ''Kuswad'' is a set of festive

sweets Candy, also called sweets (British English) or lollies (Australian English, New Zealand English), is a confection that features sugar as a principal ingredient. The category, called ''sugar confectionery'', encompasses any sweet confection, i ...

and

snacks A snack is a small portion of food generally Eating, eaten between meals. Snacks come in a variety of forms including packaged snack foods and other processed foods, as well as items made from fresh ingredients at home. Traditionally, snack ...

made and exchanged by Christians of the Konkan region in the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...

for the

Christmas season The Christmas season or the festive season (also known in some countries as the holiday season or the holidays) is an annually recurring period recognized in many Western and other countries that is generally considered to run from late November ...

Christmastide Christmastide is a season of the liturgical year in most Christian churches. In some, Christmastide is identical to Twelvetide. For the Catholic Church, Lutheran Church, Anglican Church and Methodist Church, Christmastide begins on 24 December ...

. These goodies are major parts of the cuisines of the Goan Catholic community of

Goa Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the ...

, and the Mangalorean Catholic community of

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

. There are as many as 22 different traditional recipes that form this distinct flavour of Christmas celebration in Goa and Mangalore. Kuswar_in_Bombay

''Koswad'', derived from the

Indo-Portuguese Indo-Portuguese creoles are the several Portuguese creoles spoken in the erstwhile Portuguese Indian settlements, Cochin Portuguese Creole, Fort Bassein, Goa and Damaon, Portuguese Ceylon etc, in present-day India and Sri Lanka. These creole ...

term '' consoada'', which refers to the

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

served on Christmas Eve, 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

nevryo Nevryo (or Neureo) is an Indian sweet dumpling made predominantly in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts of Karnataka and Goa, just before Christmas. It is also prepared during the Hindu festivals of Diwali and Ganesh Chaturthi. Ingredients and ...

s, 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 Zant ...

s, duck roasts, marzipan, and others.

Goa

The kuswar of

Goan Catholics Goan Catholics ( gom, Goenchem Katholik) are an ethno-religious community of Indian Christians following the Roman Rite of worship from the Goa state, in the southern part of the Konkan region along the west coast of India. They are Konkan ...

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

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

. * ''Neuero'' or ''Neuries'' are dough mixed with coconut,

cashew nuts The cashew tree (''Anacardium occidentale'') is a tropical evergreen tree native to South America in the genus '' Anacardium'' that produces the cashew seed and the cashew apple accessory fruit. The tree can grow as tall as , but the dwarf cul ...

raisins A raisin is a dried grape. Raisins are produced in many regions of the world and may be eaten raw or used in cooking, baking, and brewing. In the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia, the word ''raisin'' is reserved for the dar ...

and cardamom and then deep fried. * ''Bebik'' (

Bebinca ''Bebinca'' or ''bebinka'', (Konkani; ''bibik'') is a layer cake of Indo-Portuguese cuisine in Goa, India. In traditional baking, Bebinka has between 7 and 16 layers, but bakeries can modify the cake recipe as per convenience and taste. It ...

) is a layered baked dessert made with flour, sugar, coconut milk and ghee. * ''

Doce Doce was a Portuguese female band from the 1980s. It was one of the first girl bands in Europe. The girls took part in the Portuguese national final in order to represent the country in the Eurovision Song Contest 1980 with the song "Doce" ("S ...

'' (Doce de Grao) is a sweet made using chickpeas and coconut. * ''Marzipan'' is a confection consisting primarily of sugar and

almond meal Almond meal, almond flour or ground almond is made from ground sweet almonds. Almond flour is usually made with blanched almonds (no skin), whereas almond meal can be made with whole or blanched almonds. The consistency is more like corn meal th ...

. * ''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 ( kok, Kōdiyālcheñ Kathōlikā) are an ethno-religious community of Latin Catholics in India typically residing in the Diocese of Mangalore in the erstwhile South Canara area, by the southwestern coast of present-day K ...

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 A macaroon ( ) is a small cake or biscuit, typically made from ground almonds (the original main ingredient), coconut or other nuts (or even potato), with sugar and sometimes flavourings (e.g. honey, vanilla, spices), food colouring, glacé ch ...

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, 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''.

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

See also

References

External links