India GOBolinhas in Goa
Bolinhas are small coconut and semolina biscuits with a cracked top, Portuguese by ancestry and entirely Goan by now. They are made for Christmas as part of the kuswar, and the old bakeries of Panaji and Mapusa sell them packed to take away.
🍪 Bolinhas
Coconut-semolina biscuits with a cracked top, made with egg yolks in the traditional recipe: Portuguese in ancestry and entirely Goan by now.
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Where to buy them in Goa
Two long-established names from the India GO guide.
Mr Baker 1922, Panaji
One of Goa's oldest bakeries, in Panaji since 1922. Bolinhas sit on the counter with bebinca, dodol and perada (guava cheese), alongside patties and rum balls, so one stop covers several Goan sweets.
Simonia's, Mapusa
A maker of traditional Goan sweets since 1963, baking bebinca, dodol, bolinhas and doce the slow, old way. Combine it with the market town itself: see Mapusa.
What they are
The dough is grated coconut, sugar, semolina, butter and egg yolks, flavoured with cardamom, shaped into small rounds, marked on top and baked gently, which is where the cracked surface comes from. Recipes differ in detail: some add an egg white, or a little flour and baking powder. They come out crisp outside and soft inside. The Portuguese name is usually glossed as "small cakes" or "cakelets". More on the bolinhas page.
Bolinhas contain egg
Traditional bolinhas are made with egg yolks, and so is bebinca. If you avoid egg, the Goan sweet to look for is dodol, made with rice flour, coconut milk, jaggery and ghee; ask at the counter to be sure.
Part of the Christmas kuswar
Kuswar is the set of sweets and snacks that Christians of the Konkan coast make and exchange for Christmas, in Goa some 22 recipes: bolinhas, bebinca, dodol, perada, kulkuls, neureos, marzipan and more. Christmas falls on 25 December, and the kuswar is made for the Christmas season. See Christmas in Goa and what to eat in Goa.
❓ FAQ
Where can I buy bolinhas in Goa?
At Mr Baker 1922 in Panaji and Simonia's in Mapusa.
What are bolinhas?
Small Goan biscuits of grated coconut and semolina with a cracked top, made with egg yolks and baked for Christmas.
Do bolinhas contain egg?
Yes. Traditional recipes use egg yolks.
What are Goan Christmas sweets called?
Kuswar: bolinhas, bebinca, dodol, perada, kulkuls, neureos and marzipan, made and exchanged for the Christmas season.
What are bakers called in Goa?
The village baker is the poder, who delivers bread by bicycle; the word comes from the Portuguese padeiro, baker.