Department of Women and Gender Studies

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"You can't be a Goan and not eat Goan food." The Intersection of Gender, Food and Identity: A Case Study of Goan Women in the Greater Toronto Area
(2010-04-13T15:50:32Z) D'Sylva, Andrea; Beagan, Brenda
Food, perhaps because of its association with women's work, has often been overlooked as a signifier of identity. This qualitative study examined the role of Goan women in Toronto in creating and maintaining Goan identity through food. Catholic Goan identity, borne from Portuguese colonization, fosters a strong set of cultural values and is often seen as devoid of unique symbols and markers other than its cuisine. Food plays a crucial role in Goan identity. The thirteen first-generation Goan women interviewed maintained that being Goan is inextricably linked to Goan food. They saw their role in foodwork as having "currency" within the family and community, a role that fosters and supports Goan identity. As a diasporic and racially marginalized group in Canada, often grouped with other South Asians, these Goan women lived within a "Goancentric" world that supported and celebrated their Goanness; Goan food was central to that identity.