prestonjohn

Why all the prejudice against supermarkets ? They have strong standards of hygiene and quality.Provide food at affordable prices.I get quite tired of searching around the various excuses for mini-markets looking for fresh cheese and pre-cooked meat at affordable prices.Newtons would go out of business in ten minutes if a decent supermarket opened in north Bardez.The prices of imported food stuff is ridiculously high in India, so ridiculous in fact, that it gives the impression that its manufactured and bears no relation to what it actually costs to import the stuff.Visitors,foreign and domestic, have been swindled for years by a small cartel of businessmen in Goa and Mumbai in relation to so-called imported food stuffs and its just another scam.

Bipat

Agree with you about the prejudice against supermarkets, I would say most of us find them useful.
But why go as an expat abroad and eat imported food??. Pre-cooked meat from a shop something I would never ever eat in India regardless of the apparent hygiene.

chrisjolly

I think prejudice is too strong a word but I personally think that the large supermarket chains control our lives in Europe..food, clothes, drink, banking, phone networks, insurance, loans, the list is endless. They cut their prices at the expense of their suppliers and create an unfair basis for competition. We have been buying goods from traders for centuries quite effectively without Tescos and Morrisons and that to me is the beauty of living here...I cannot stand wandering around a preprepared environment that makes me choose what I do not want to buy. Give me Mapusa market any day...its real people trying to eek out a living by selling their produce. The money goes to them, their suppliers, their transport and their staff...who does the money go to when you buy at Tescos.. the shareholders and the Directors on millions a year!

johnny five

So do Tesco not pay their suppliers or their transport? And what about the tens of thousands of employees, many of whom would struggle to find employment in other industries?
Or Waitrose who, as part of John Lewis, share their profits with staff?

We all sing/sang the praises of Ajays little supermarket in Mapusa, what do you think the small stallholders in the market have to say about his venture?

There is nothing wrong with wanting a few favourites from home when LIVING in Goa, but the rip off is entirely Goan. Go to Bombay and many of these imported goods are available for less than half the rates in Goa.

If some want to see proper supermarkets, whats the problem? Its not going to force Mapusa market to close so there will be plenty of filth and stench to scratch around in for those who prefer it, or wade around in during the monsoon..........


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prestonjohn

On reflection it is too strong.But i used to pop over to Mapsua Market on a Friday and thoroughly enjoy it as an afternoon out.But in the end i got fed up with having to throw half of the fruit and veg away after a couple of days because it was bruised or just old and out of date.Thats about all i would buy in the food range there other than hardware items.Even in the dreaded Newtons the cheeses on offer are far from fresh in the sense of only being say a month or two old.I haven't found one cheese in India that i comes any where near European standards for taste.Most are rubbery and tasteless.Some especially from the North look like the bloody cow had Hepatitis !I have to disagree Bipat, the cooked Ham from Delmonicos(?) was spot on.The Salami was completely naff and had never seen Milan, nor Italy i think ! Despite what peoples opinions are on the subject of Supermarkets, they are on the way in India.Walmart are coming and Tesco's are in discussion with the Indian Government as i write, that's the reason i mentioned it in the first place...On reflection though Supermarkets do control the markets to a certain extent through whole sale buying from the producers but they also demand quality and give them a fixed price for their produce based on market values.

Bipat

When LIVING in Goa is that not "home"? Seriously though occasionally wanting what you used to have in the 'old country' is natural, but for the most part it is cheaper and safer to eat local food.

Filth and Stench, haven't been to Mapusa for years but it doesn't seem like that in the South or Karwar. Why not go there for occasional shopping (local stuff)? Only 2-3 hours journey, nearer than the UK

msj5

Mapusa market is now quite enjoyable!!

It was totally resurfaced with tarmac about 15 months ago, the sewer drains were cleaned out under the supervision of Green Goa Works and i`ve not seen rats or dying kittens( like you did 16yrs ago) recently.

The new fish market is not going to be ready for monsoon....but how much fish is around during monsoon anyway with a fishing ban on!!

Ajays is now heavily frequented by the locals!

hemingway

Margao fish market smells absolutely horrendously and that's only as you ride past - god only knows what it's like if you get into the thick of things. The garbage surrounding the fish market has to be seen to be believed, as do the 'sacred cows' foraging amongst who knows what & all this not a mile from the centre of Goa's 'commercial' capital.

Happy bank holiday Sunday - nice sunny blue sky day in the North West of England!

H.

noni

Newtons is frequented more by Indians than "white" people. You go there about 8.30 onwards in the evening and "local" cars are there having their boots filled by the owners. Some people have money in Goa - probably taken from us.

Mapsa market, I find really smelly, did not make it last season so hope the entrance with the smelly drains are now cleaned up. If you want to see real overflowing dirty bins and grot, go to A & E in Bambolin Hospital - that is absolutely disgusting.

Although in fairness must say the treatment was excellent.

Bipat

Yes you are right, but I suppose all fish markets smell to some extent. In karwar it is the accepted place to take unwanted puppies and they are usually taken in by someone (quite soon if 'good-looking'); if not at least there are scraps of food.
The other markets in Margao are OK though, at least I don't get the sense of J5's "filth and stench".

It's cold in the Midlands.

Bipat

Noni, why should 'Indians' not have money?? and why do you assume it is taken from 'you' ??
There are people in all 'walks of life' there, not necessarily associated with the tourist industry and even if they are, should they not earn enough to fill their car boots?.

hemingway

It's not likely to happen but I sincerely hope that some form of 'cull' takes place in terms of stray dogs.

Bipat, what did you think of Anri's place?

I like dogs even though I would not wish to own one myself - an appealing looking black Heinz 57 varieties dog adopted Anri's shack a couple of years ago to the extent that when the shack is taken down, the poor dog remains on the beach where the shack was - I'm told it stays there for the whole of the monsoon - how it gets fed, I don't know.

When we were there in January, Anri's shack price for a large Kingfisher was Rs70 & the place was busy. We went back in April & the shack only remained open for a few days & in view of the lack of customers, the price of a large kingfisher was, yes, you guessed it, Rs90! Goan logic, you gotta love it!

Regards

H.

Bipat

I don't really know about Anri's; we were only there for a short time this trip and went to a different shack each day without noticing the name; but didn't always eat there, just drinks and then staggered off!!

About dogs it is heart-breaking how they suffer.
We noticed such a difference when we visited Kovalam beach in December, there registration seems compulsory and all had canvas collars (often colour-matched to their fur!!). One apparition which looked as though covered in mange but had actually been clipped with small scissors for the heat and was obviously loved.

a_f_d

It was???
When I've been there recently Ajays is heavily frequented by the 'locals' who've come back for a holiday; from Mumbai, Pune, Swindon, Toronto .....

AndyD 8-)#

johnny five

Maybe that's because you are talking about Margao, and I was referring to Mapusa? During a few days in Margao I couldn't believe how different it was from the local town I was used to. And it seems that has improved in the last couple of years?

Andy, love the "Swindon" reference............ have you been following their attempt to hold a whole town to ransom?

Bipat, "they" referred to being the massive Goan population.......... just so there is no confusion.
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