In a State of Sucego

A truly Goan experience – Sucego and is untranslatable into any other language. It is often mistaken by non-Goans for procrastination or the manana experience. It is far from it. Sucego is a state of being suspended in space, a kind of doing nothingness, a blessed blissfulness that cannot be described, only experienced. To do so you must be a true Goan, you must have the tanginess of vindaloo in the marrow of your bones, the sweet goodness if caju feni in the passages of your vein and the warm waters of Goan rivers on your brain [Excerpted from “one sip at a time” by George Menezes]

I agree with this Gentleman a prolific writer from Goa and a true Goan, who has explained the meaning of Sucego (Many people spell it wrongly too, ‘Susega’, ‘Sussegad’…) so beautifully. Many people mock the experience and to an extent misuse it. I have seen this word being thrown around so callously it’s almost blasphemous. Well to ones own I guess.

I sit back here with a tall glass of a kokum cocktail I have concocted for myself. I make myself comfortable on an ancient rocking chair in my Aunts spacious beach front apartment typing away and reminiscing about the days when holidays were a lot simpler. We used to live at my Grandmother’s who has a riverfront house. The house is strategically located by the banks of the Mandovi River with a view of the city and the barges which sail by pathetically. On one side of the house is full blown greenery and the small hutments of the tiny village of Betim and on the other is the primeval sawmill with its tons of logs and stacks of wood and still in working condition, all these bordering the picture perfect image and completing the canvas of a typical Goan Cottage with slate tiles and a front porch spilling out into a garden. The 200 odd coconut trees fill up the vast grounds behind the house thus proving to be one of those houses which you love and would not consider even replacing a tile on the roof lest it dented the image.

I have spent whole summers as a kid in this house and a part of December during Christmas. We have lived a life of carefree indulgence, running up to our groundskeeper who would tear down fresh coconuts for us to sip on during hot and humid afternoons. The locals used to make their regional curries and we would sneak out and gorge on them with local bread as meat was a complete no-no in the house. Evenings would be spent taking the ferry across the river to the city, walk on the motor free streets holding on to ice creams or poi filled with butter and cheese and make a beeline for the beach where we built our castles in the air till dusk.

I still relive those days with much longing. The good thing is that the cottage remains unchanged and I can sit back and rewind to the good old days whenever I feel the need to unwind. I shuttle between my Aunts place and my Nanis house now and again to get the best of both worlds.

Incidentally, the drink I spoke about is quite a treat which I would like you, my readers, to occasionally whip up as a slight change from the usual. Kokum, a local fruit grown along the coasts of Goa, is one of the healthiest fruits available in town. A black pulpy fruit which is dried and sold; the fruit has a very distinctive and peculiar fragrance and can be quite strong if used generously. It’s commonly used to flavor dals, curries and the ever famous sol-kadhi. I recently went into the market and our local cashew nut vendor offered me fresh kokum sherbet which he said I would love. I took it back home and concocted a delicious, refreshing and slightly odd drink which was an instant burst of flavors of my childhood (of course without the alcohol).

Konkani Kokum Vodka

Ingredients:

• 10ml Kokum Sherbet
• 30ml Vodka
• Splash of Blackberry Juice (Optional)*
• Soda
• Pinch of Salt
• Ice Cubes

In a whiskey glass, pour the kokum sherbet and top with ice. Add the vodka, blackberry juice and top with soda with a toss of salt. Drop in a short stirrer and serve immediately. The vodka-blackberry juice-soda suspends above the thick sherbet till the drinker mixes the drink.

Enjoy this drink with loads of salted cashews by a beach front or your balcony/terrace open to the sky; and I think you will definitely feel a touch of Sucego.

Till the next post, cheers…

* You can avoid the blackberry juice and use blackberry or blackcurrant flavored vodka.