Kuswar: The Goan Christmas Sweets You Have to Try

In early December, Goan kitchens get busy. Grandmothers take out heavy old pans. Children are given the job of shaping tiny curls of dough over the back of a fork. Coconut is grated by the mountain. For the next few weeks, homes smell of ghee, jaggery and cardamom.

All of this goes into kuswar, the tray of Christmas sweets that families make, share with neighbours and send to friends. It is one of the warmest traditions in Goa, and the sweets themselves are worth crossing the country for.

Bebinca: the queen of the tray

Bebinca is a layered cake made from coconut milk, egg yolks, sugar and ghee. Each layer is poured, then baked or grilled from the top before the next goes on, which means a proper bebinca can take hours of patient work. The result is dense, caramelised and rich, with thin golden stripes when you slice it. A small piece is plenty. You will want a second small piece.

Kulkuls and neureos

Kulkuls are little curled shells of sweet dough, rolled over a fork or comb to give them ridges, then fried and coated in sugar. They are the sweet children love making and adults keep stealing.

Neureos are crescent-shaped fried pastries stuffed with coconut, sugar and cardamom, close cousins of the karanji or gujiya. Every family's filling is slightly different, and every family believes theirs is correct.

Dodol, perad and marzipan

• Dodol: a dark, chewy sweet of rice flour, coconut milk and palm jaggery, stirred for a long time until it sets.
• Perad: Goan guava cheese, a firm, ruby-coloured guava paste cut into squares.
• Marzipan: in Goa often made with cashews rather than almonds, and shaped into tiny fruits, flowers and stars.
• Doce and bolinhas: a chana dal sweet and little semolina-coconut cookies, often on the tray too.

The meaning of the tray

Kuswar is not just food; it is how Goans say “we are thinking of you” at Christmas. Trays travel between houses, across religions and neighbourhoods. If you are offered a plate while in Goa, accept it with both hands and a big smile. It is a small gesture of welcome, and it means a lot.

Where to find it

In December, look for homemade sweets at church fairs, local markets and small bakeries across Goa, especially in Panjim, Margao and the villages. Homemade is always the goal. Ask locals where their families buy when they don't make it themselves.

Taste Christmas with GoRaahi

Food is one of the ways we fall in love with a place, and December in Goa is the sweetest version. Explore GoRaahi's December departures.

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