A Call for ‘Vindaloo Visas’: How a Goan curry dish from India now stands to win a special type of visa category status
The state of Goa in India is a superhit with International tourists. Vindaloo happens to be the name of a Goan pork curry dish. It was introduced by the Portuguese who had colonised Goa. Due to religious reasons, pork eating is often considered taboo in India. So the dish was improvised with chicken and lamb meat. Also, the wine used by the Portuguese was substituted by other Indian ingredients and spices. The British who colonised India liked the dish and since then it became popular in the United Kingdom. Online sources claim that the balanced spice mix was replaced by use of excessive chilli to make the dish spicy.
Tight immigration rules of UK are restricting skilled chefs from flying in for employment. As a result, the Indian restaurants operating in UK are seeing a demise due to skill crunch. The curry industry is heaving with a major setback.
To save the dwindling industry, a special type of visa for chefs belonging from South Asia is being considered to be issued. The visas will be strictly valid for one year. The job responsibility of people travelling with this particular visa will majorly involve training the restaurant workforce in making Indian curries.
Enam Ali, founder of the British Curry Awards and the Spice Business Magazine dubbed this version of visa as ‘Vindaloo Visa’. Influential people involved in the British political scene are also backing the introduction of this category of temporary visa.
Do you live in UK? What’s your take on the matter? Please don’t hesitate, comment below and present your viewpoint to the world.
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Tania Banerjee
Tania is a freelance writer based in India who tinkers with words here and there but mostly focused on travel, food, arts and crafts. She writes for several Indian dailies and magazines.
2 Comments
cbegg1950
I’m from the UK and don’t personally eat a lot of curry, but I know people who love it, so teaching chefs here how to do it properly or chefs travelling to India to do it properly can only be a good thing for improved curry flavours!
Tania Banerjee
Great to hear from a true local of UK! The idea of chefs travelling to India in order to get trained is also a wonderful idea!