As the first light spread across Goa’s rice fields, farmers heading out for long days of work carried more than tools and seeds. Alongside them travelled a clay pot filled with warm kanji or home-cooked meals, wrapped in layers of mud and cow dung. In an era before thermos flasks and insulated boxes, this simple vessel ensured that lunch stayed warm through the day. 

Many Goan farmers relied on something far simpler, and far more local. It was called the podgoh, a traditional clay pot that worked like an ancient thermos.

The podgoh was more than just cookware. It was a practical survival tool built around local materials and wisdom.

What exactly is a podgoh?

A podgoh is a traditional Goan clay pot, usually used to carry kanji — a rice-based gruel or rice water commonly consumed by farmers — along with simple meals cooked at home. Unlike ordinary clay pots, this vessel was coated externally with layers of mud and cow dung that acted........

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