Story of Bebinca: The multi layered dessert that rules Goa

Rituparna

Story of Bebinca: The multi layered dessert that rules Goa

Hailed as the 'Queen of Goan desserts', Bebinca has been an item of fascination for tourists and locals alike. Tucked within the many layers of this fancy Indo-Portuguese cuisine is a mystery pertaining to its origins and its undisputed popularity among the people of Goa.

Bebinca is a multi-layered dessert, indigenous to Goa. Image Source: Telegraph India

We all enjoy desserts every now and then. From cheesecakes to donuts, we must have tried many varieties of desserts to satisfy our sweet tooth/cravings. However, when it comes to Bebinca, the queen of Goan desserts, people are divided.

Bebinca, also known as Bibik, is a unique dessert from Goa made of four primary ingredients: egg yolks, maida (flour), coconut milk and sugar. A pinch of nutmeg powder and a sufficient amount of ghee is also added to enhance its flavour and texture. The dessert is ideally made of several layers, between 7-16, but it can be changed as per the chef's convenience.

Within Goa, you would find this dessert at almost every other big or small occasion, from Christmas and weddings, to intimate house parties.

Tourists do not always get the hype around this dessert. Upon tasting, the dessert comes off as chewy and rubbery, unlike many other sweets that melt easily on the tongue. Some say that it is only the commercially available Bebinca which tastes so peculiar but the ones baked authentically definitely serve justice to the Bebinca.

The small state of Goa contains a wealth of history, seen through its cultural interactions, art and architecture. Despite being dominated by the Konkanis, Goa shines best through its representation of many distinct Portuguese and Christian traits. However, Goa is far from a region which is hiding under its colonial past. Many of the practices and cultures that it inherited from the Portuguese have been modified to the extent that they have now become indigenous and unique markers of the Goan community. The queen of Goan dessert, Bebinca, is the perfect example of this case.

Even more fascinating than the popularity of this peculiar dessert is however, the origin stories surrounding the Bebinca. It's a mystery, some say; a mystery which would perhaps be solved only if we can magically move a few centuries back to the time when the Portuguese were ruling Goa.

That being said, Goans have come up with their own versions for those interested people, which seek to explain the history of Goa's beloved sweet.

Apparently, during the Portuguese era in Goa, egg whites were used for a variety of purposes leading to an excess of egg yolks, which were not used often. Particularly when eggs began to be used to starch clothes, the nuns of the Santa Monica Convent at Old Goa, thought of experimenting with the leftover egg yolks to prevent them from getting wasted.

Historian Fatima Da Silva Gracias, in her book, Cozinha de Goa: History and Tradition of Goan Food, wrote that perhaps the ultimate recipe for bebinca was created by a nun at the Convent by the name of Bebiana. Bebiana crafted a seven layered pudding cake to symbolize the seven hills of Old Goa and Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. That's how the most famous dessert of Goa was born and went on to reign over the hearts of so many Goans!