The Reading Club, Goa
Where We Read to Remember, Rediscover, and Reimagine
Welcome to The Reading Club — a food book club rooted in Goa and powered by curiosity. Based in Margao, we are a small but growing circle of readers exploring the deep connections between food, memory, identity, and resistance. We meet twice a month, usually virtually, to reflect on writing that goes far beyond recipes — into ritual, migration, and cultural storytelling.
🥄 What We’ve Read So Far
Our journey began with a single, powerful book:
- Our journey began with a question: What have we forgotten about what we eat?
That led us into the kitchens, mosques, diaries, and marketplaces of Muslim South and Southeast Asia — where food becomes both spiritual offering and cultural record.
Inspired by this, our discussions have touched on:
- How colonial borders erased shared foodways
- The importance of oral tradition in preserving Muslim culinary heritage
- Culinary history of Goan Muslims
📅 How It Works
- 📅 Meets Twice a Month: Casual Zoom and WhatsApp conversations — no pressure, no pretense.
- 🧘 Low-Pressure: We know everyone’s juggling a lot. Readings are paced gently and the discussions are deeply nourishing.
- 🤝 No Background Needed: Whether you’re a chef, researcher, or simply food-curious, you’re welcome here. No prior experience — just openness and a hunger to learn.
We’re more interested in questions than answers. You don’t need to have the “right” interpretation — just an open mind and a willingness to read between the lines.
✨ What’s Next?
We plan to expand into themes like:
- Lost women’s food writing from India and Goa
- Culinary anthropology and the spice trade
- Religious food practices and seasonal rituals
- Colonial cookbooks, community kitchens, and memory work
Each reading opens up new directions — and often flows into our other clubs: Cooking and Culture.
👉 Want to join us?
Fill up the form. It’s free, open to all, and deeply nourishing in ways beyond food.