Bengali cuisine

Bengali cuisine is the culinary tradition of Bengal, a region now split between Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, with parts of Jharkhand and Assam. It is built on rice, freshwater fish and mustard oil, and is known for its wide range of sweets.

History

Bengali cooking has been shaped by the region's history and climate. From around the mid-thirteenth century, Muslim rulers brought Persian and Arabic culinary traditions, and dishes such as korma and bhuna moved from the royal courts to ordinary households through Mughal cooks.

Under British rule, Kolkata became home to exiled nawabs, including the family of Tipu Sultan and Wajid Ali Shah, who brought large retinues of cooks and spice mixers. When the partition of Bengal divided the region, the two sides developed differently: Bangladesh kept dishes such as beef kebab and sweets like zarda, while West Bengal produced new creations such as the kathi roll.

Culture

Food is closely linked to religious and social life, from Durga Puja and Eid to Poila Boishakh and adda, the long conversations held over a table. Sweets play a central role, including sandesh, rosogolla and the many milk-based payesh. In Kolkata, street life revolves around phuchka and a local version of Chinese cooking.

The restrictions placed on Hindu widows, who avoided meat, fish and alliums, led to simple vegetable dishes seasoned with restraint. Today Bengali cuisine mixes Odia, Chinese and Tibetan influences, and it remains a strong marker of identity for those who cook and share it.