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Culture of Bangladesh |
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Bangladeshi cuisine has been shaped by the region's history and river-line geography. Bangladesh has a tropical monsoon climate. The staple of Bangladesh is rice and fish. [1] The majority of Bangladeshi people are ethnic Bengali, accustomed to Bengali cuisine, with a minority of non-Bengalis, many used to cuisines from different traditions and regions. [2] [3] [4]
Bangladeshi culinary habits were strongly influenced by the cuisine of the area's Mughal rulers. This includes rich, aromatic dishes such as biriyani and korma that require the use of a large array of spices along with a great deal of ghee. Dhaka was the Mughal capital of the Bengal Subah and a major trading center in South Asia. Traders, immigrants and visitors brought culinary styles from around the world, which influenced the city's cuisine. After Dhaka became the capital of East Bengal, Persian, Turkish and Arabic-influenced dishes became popular. [5] Black pepper and chui jhal were used to add spiciness before chili was introduced from the Americas. [6]
Rice is the staple food of Bangladesh, [1] while fish is the most common source of protein in Bangladesh. [1] There are 250 plant-based ingredients in Bangladeshi cooking. [1] The use of mustard oil is common. [7]
The culinary customs of the nation's capital have been influenced by Mughlai, Central Asian, Armenian, Persian and native Bengali cuisines. The city's cuisine also has unique local dishes. [8]
The Nawabs of Dhaka brought Mughlai cuisine to Bengal. Mughlai cuisine is often lavish and expensive, and was out of reach for many people up for many centuries, becoming more widespread as Bangladesh's economy grew. It is characterised by use of meat and dairy ingredients such as lamb, mutton, beef and yoghurt together with mild spices. Its dishes include kebab; stuffed breads; kacchi biriyani; roast lamb, duck, and chicken; patisapta; Kashmiri tea and korma are still served at special occasions like Eid and at weddings. [9] [10] [11]
Chowk Bazaar in Old Dhaka is a centuries-old food market and a focal point during Ramadan for the Iftar meal after sunset. [12] [13] [14]
Dhakaiya paratha is a multi-layered bread that found popularity in Kolkata when immigrants from Dhaka introduced it there following the Partition of India. [15]
Haji biryani is a rice dish originating from a Dhaka restaurant of the same name. The dish consists of rice, goat meat and spices. [16] [17] [18] [19] [20]
Bakarkhani is a thick, spiced flat-bread from Mughlai cuisine often served with tea. Dhakai Bakarkhani is the variant found in Dhaka, where it has been prepared for centuries. [21] [22]
Morog pulao is a signature dish of the city, an aromatic rice pilaf with chicken. [23] [24]
In Chittagong and the surrounding region curries are generally highly spiced and often include beef. [25] [26] Mejbani Gosht is a beef curry for special occasions; [27] [26] a Mejban or Mezban is a communal feast. [26]
Beef dishes are popular with Bengali Muslims and often served at Mezban feasts, where they indicate prosperity. [27] [28] [26]
Hindus tend to cook with fish rather than beef. The Hindu community of Chittagong organises Mezban feasts each year as "Chittagong Parishad", with curries of fish and vegetables. [26]
Kala bhuna , blackened beef, is a dish from Chittagong [29] [30] made of beef shoulder cooked with spices until dark and tender. [31] [32]
Durus kura or duroos is a dish comprising a whole chicken cooked in thick broth, served with rice, either as polao or khichuri. [33] [34] It also a part of Rohingya Cuisine. [35]
Akhni , also commonly known as Orosher Biriyani is a biriyani variant made with chinigura rice (an aromatic, short-grained rice). It contains cubes of beef or goat meat with potatoes and dried fruits.
Chittagong is near the coast and has several dishes using sea fish, [36] including rupchanda (silver pomfret) and loita (Bombay duck). [36] Shutki is cured and dried loita, a pungent delicacy typical of the region. [36] Churi (ribbonfish) is dried then cooked with chili and onions. [36] Koral/bhetki (barramundi) and giant tiger prawns from the Bay of Bengal are eaten in coastal regions. [36] [37]
The Chittagong Hill Tracts are home to tribes with their own culture and cuisine. [38] [39] Chakma cuisine uses sidol, a paste made from fermented shrimps and fish, and suguni, dried shrimp or fish. [40] Their dishes use more herbs from the hills more than the spices common in Bengali dishes. [40] Important seasonal ingredients include wild mushrooms and the Flowers of ginger and turmeric plants. [40] Sumoh gorang is a dish cooked in bamboo and Hebaang is baked in banana leaves in a mud oven. [40] Marma cuisine uses a paste of dried fish called nappi. [4] Rice beer is a popular drink. [4]
In Mymensingh doi yogurt is often combined with puffed or flattened rice. [41]
Monda is a sweet yogurt patty from Muktagachhar, first made in 1824. [42] [43] [44] [45]
The Garo people are an ethnic and religious minority in Mymensingh region with their own unique culture and cuisine. [3] [46] Their cuisine is notable for the use of pork, eel, and turtle meat. [3] The Garo brew liquor at home [3] and cook with soda and in bamboo. [47]
Northern Bangladesh has numerous dairy farms that produce yogurt (doi). [48] Yogurt is also made of evaporated milk which gives it a more intense taste, similar to kheer. [48] Biral Upazila is well known for large Koi fish [48] which are baked in banana leaves. [49] Catla fish is commonly cooked in doi yogurt. [48]
Bogra is well known nationally and internationally for its sweet curds. [50]
The Rangpur region has a beef dish cooked with pumpkin. [30]
The Santal people in the Rajshahi region [51] eat crab, pork, squirrel, and fish [51] and tend to use fewer spices in their cooking. [52] They produce an alcoholic drink from rice called hadia . [51] They make liquor using palm tree resin which is used for ritual ceremonies. [51]
Piper chaba is a fiery aromatic spice grown in South Bengal. It pre-dates the introduction of chilli from the Americas in the 16th century. [6] [53] [29] [54] Its peeled and chopped stem and roots are added to meat and fish dishes. [55]
The Sylhet area of Bangladesh has a number of characteristic dishes and ingredients. It is home to several citrus fruit varieties such as hatkora and thoikor, Adajamir or Ada Lebu, and Ashkul Lebu or Ashkoni Lebu that are commonly used in the region's fish and meat dishes. [57] [58] [59] [32] [60] Although Ashkul Lebu or Ashkoni Lebu is unheard of amongst many Sylhetis due to lack of knowledge on it, and it is most likely to be nearly extinct; the juices of Ashkul Lebu is used to make Tenga or Khatta.
Akhni is a mixed rice dish similar to biryani or polao, made with meat and/or vegetables.
Red and white Birin rice (also transliterated as Biroin or Bireen) is found only in the Sylhet region. [61] It is eaten in savoury and sweet dishes and is the main ingredient for Chunga Pitha, a traditional rice cake prepared by stuffing sticky rice inside young bamboo and smoking it slowly. The rice cake is removed from the tube and has the shape of a candle. The dish may also be made with milk, sugar, coconut, and rice powder.
Khichuri is a rice dish similar in consistency to porridge. During the holy month of Ramadan, it is served as a staple food for Iftar. It consists of aromatic rice mixed with spices, ghee, cumin and fenugreek. It is also offered to sick people mixed with ginger.
Beef Hatkhora is a traditional festive dish of beef cooked with hatkora juice.
Aash Bash is a traditional dish using duck and bamboo shoots. It is also known as Aash ar Khoril.
Fish is eaten both curried and fried. Dried and fermented fish called shutki also known by many locals of Sylhet as hutki or hukoin, and hatkora, a bitter and fragrant citrus fruit are used in fish curries. Extremely hot Naga Morich peppers are used in broths. [62]
Some local dishes incorporate hidol, a pungent chutney of dried fish matured in earthenware pots. [63] This includes Hutki Shira, a fish curry with vegetables.
Thoikor Tenga is a dish fish cooked with thoikor, a bitter citrus fruit that grows in the Sylhet region.
Bakarkhani is a flatbread that resembles porota and is commonly eaten during Iftar, the evening meal during the month of Ramadan [64]
Handesh is a snack made of deep-fried dough sweetened with molasses or sugar. It is served on special occasions such as the festival of Eid al-Fitr.
Nunor Bora is a savoury snack made of rice flour and with onion, ginger and turmeric, fried to a golden colour.
Tusha Shinni is a dessert halwa made from sweetened dough with nuts and raisins that is usually served on special occasions.
Seven Color Tea is a colourful drink with multiple different layers of flavoured tea. [65] [66]
In the early 20th century sailors from Sylhet, known as Lascars, settled in the United Kingdom. [67] They bought fish and chip restaurants and developed them into full service Indian restaurants. [67] They based the cuisine offered there on that sold by established Anglo-Indian restaurants and on Mughal Cuisine. [67]
More than 8 out of 10 of over 8,000 "Indian restaurants" in the UK are owned by Bangladeshis, [32] [68] 95% of who come from Sylhet. [69] [70] [71]
Culinary historian Lizzie Collingham wrote that
"Sylheti curry cooks converted "unadventurous British palates" to a new flavour spectrum". [72]
Amriti is a flower-shaped deep-fried dessert in sugary syrup [73] that is popular in Dhaka and Tangail. [74] [75]
Chomchom is a traditional sweet that originated in Porabari. [76] [77] The sweet is oval and brown.
Boondi is popular during Ramadan. [78]
Balish Mishti (lit. pillow sweet) is a large pillow-shaped sweet from Natore District. [79]
Jilapi is a pretzel-shaped sweet in syrup that is popular throughout South Asia. [80] Shahi jilapi (royal jilapi) is a very large, pinwheel-shaped variant from Dhaka. [81]
Kachagolla is a dessert made of dairy ingredients and sugar that is from Natore District in Rajshahi Division. [82] It may have been presented to the 18th century ruler Rani Bhabani. [82] [83]
Ledikeni is a light fried reddish-brown ball made of chhena and flour, soaked in sugar syrup. [84] It was devised in the mid-19th century and named after Lady Canning, the wife of the Governor-General of India. [85] [86]
Pantua is the Bengali version of gulab jamun . [87]
Ras malai is a dessert of balls of chhana milk solids in a cream sauce flavoured with cardamom. [88] [89]
Taal, the fruit of the Palmyra palm is used in a variety of desserts. [90]
Dimer Jorda also known as Egg Jorda or Egg Halwa is a Bangladeshi informal popular sweet dish. It is halwa made using egg and milk.
As a majority Muslim country, alcohol sales in Bangladesh are controlled. A government permit is necessary to purchase alcoholic drinks. [102]
Indian cuisine consists of a variety of regional and traditional cuisines native to the Indian subcontinent. Given the diversity in soil, climate, culture, ethnic groups, and occupations, these cuisines vary substantially and use locally available spices, herbs, vegetables, and fruits.
Asian food encompasses several significant regional cooking styles: Central Asian, East Asian, North Asian, South Asian, Southeast Asian, and West Asian. Cuisine is a distinctive way of cooking practices and customs, usually associated with a specific culture. Asia, as the largest and most populous continent, is home to many cultures, each with its own characteristic cuisine. Asian cuisine is considered the “culture of food within a society” due to the beliefs, cooking methods, and the specific ingredients used throughout the entire process. Asian cuisines are also renowned for their spices. A key taste factor in Asian cuisine is “umami” flavor, a strong savoriness prominent in Asian cooking, which can be achieved through fermented food or meat extract.
Pakistani cuisine can be characterized as a blend of regional cooking styles and flavours from across South, Central and Western Asia. Pakistani cuisine is influenced by Persian, Indian, and Arab cuisine. The cuisine of Pakistan also maintains certain Mughal influences within its recipes and cooking techniques. Pakistan's ethnic and cultural diversity, diverse climates, geographical environments, and availability of different produce lead to diverse regional cuisines.
Bengali cuisine is the culinary style of Bengal, that comprises Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura and Assam's Karimganj district. The cuisine has been shaped by the region's diverse history and climate. It is known for its varied use of flavours including mustard oil, as well as the spread of its confectioneries and desserts. There is a strong emphasis on rice as a staple, with fish traditionally the most common protein. Freshwater fish are preferred to seafish, although barramundi, known as bhetki, is also common. Meat is also a common protein among Bengalis with chicken and mutton meat being the most popular. Beef is popular within the muslim community. In more recent times, lentils have begun to form a significant part of the diet. Many Bengali food traditions draw from social activities, such as adda, Poila Boishakh, Mezban, Iftar and Eid feast.
A samosa from the Persian word Sambosag (سنبوسگ) is a fried South Asian and West Asian snack. It is a pastry with a savory filling, mostly vegetables, spiced potatoes, onions, peas, also non-vegetarian meat, or fish. It is made into different shapes, including triangular, cone, or crescent, depending on the region. Samosas are often accompanied by chutney, and have origins in medieval times or earlier. Sweet versions are also made. Samosas are a popular entrée, appetizer, or snack in the cuisines of South Asia, West Asia, Central Asia, East Africa and their South Asian diasporas.
Biryani is a mixed rice dish, mainly popular in South Asia. It is made with rice, some type of meat and spices. To cater to vegetarians, in some cases, it is prepared by substituting vegetables or paneer for the meat. Sometimes eggs and/or potatoes are also added.
South Asian cuisine, includes the traditional cuisines from the modern-day South Asian republics of Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, also sometimes including the kingdom of Bhutan and the emirate of Afghanistan. Also sometimes known as Desi cuisine, it has been influenced by and also has influenced other Asian cuisines beyond the Indian subcontinent.
Kerala cuisine is a culinary style originated in the Kerala, a state on the southwestern Malabar Coast of India. Kerala cuisine offers a multitude of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes prepared using fish, poultry and red meat with rice as a typical accompaniment. Chillies, curry leaves, coconut, mustard seeds, turmeric, tamarind, asafoetida and other spices are also used in the preparation.
Afghan cuisine is influenced by Persian, Central Asian, and South Asian cuisines due to Afghanistan's close proximity and cultural ties. The cuisine is halal and mainly based on mutton, beef, poultry and fish with rice and Afghan bread. Accompanying these are common vegetables and dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, whey, and fresh and dried fruits such as apples, apricots, grapes, bananas, oranges, plums, pomegranates, sweet melons, and raisins. The diet of most Afghans revolves around rice-based dishes, while various forms of naan are consumed with most meals. Tea is generally consumed daily in large quantities, and is a major part of hospitality. The culinary specialties reflect the nation's ethnic and geographic diversity. The national dish of Afghanistan is Kabuli palaw, a rice dish cooked with raisins, carrots, nuts, and lamb or beef.
Mughlai cuisine consists of dishes developed or popularised in the early-modern Indo-Persian cultural centres of the Mughal Empire. It represents a combination of cuisine of the Indian subcontinent with the cooking styles and recipes of Central Asian and Islamic cuisine. Mughlai cuisine is strongly influenced by the Turkic cuisine of Central Asia, the region where the early Mughal emperors originally hailed from, and it has in turn strongly influenced the regional cuisines of Northern India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Padang dish or Minangkabau dish is the cuisine of the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is among the most popular cuisines in Maritime Southeast Asia. It is known across Indonesia as Masakan Padang after Padang, the capital city of Western Sumatra province. It is served in restaurants mostly owned by perantauan (migrating) Minangkabau people in Indonesian cities. Padang food is ubiquitous in Indonesian cities and is popular in neighboring Malaysia and Singapore.
The Thalassery cuisine refers to the distinct cuisine from Thalassery city of northern Kerala, which has blended in Arabian, Persian, Indian and European styles of cooking as a result of its long history as a maritime trading post.
Mutton curry is a dish that is prepared from goat meat and vegetables. The dish is found in different variations across all states, countries and regions of the Indian subcontinent and the Caribbean.
Mirzapur is a village in Ishwarganj Upazila of Mymensingh District in the Division of Mymensingh, Bangladesh.
Akhni is a mixed rice dish with its origins among the Bengali Muslims of Chittagong and Sylhet, in eastern Bangladesh. It is often considered to be a particular variation of biryani or polao. The dish is especially popular in restaurants throughout Bangladesh, as well as among the diaspora across the world. The dish is a staple in Chittagong, where it is said to be consumed every week by the average Chittagonian person. During Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, the dish is popularly eaten at Iftar meals across Sylhet too.
Mezban, locally known as Mejjan is a popular social festival held in the Chittagong region by Bengali Muslims of Bangladesh. Historically Mezban is a traditional regional Bengali feast and nowadays refers to both the regional tradition and the feast that results in common usage. The famous Mezbani meal consisting of steamed white rice and hot beef, usually along with other dishes like 'chonar daal' or curry of mung bean and beef fat chunks, 'nolar kanzi' or beef bone marrow soup, and the kala bhuna or dried beef with onions. The feast is held on occasions such as death anniversary, birth anniversary, launching of a new business, the birth of a child, marriage, aqiqah and circumcision, and ear piercing of girls among others. The invitation of the Mezban ceremony generally remains open for all and various people to different places and neighborhoods convey the invitation for the feast. The invitation cards are printed and distributed among the guests only in urban areas. Usually, the consumption of food at Mezbani takes place from morning to afternoon.
Soft Khichuri, also known as Norom Kisuri is one kind of rice-based meal which is similar in consistency to porridge, a popular dish in the Sylhet region of Bangladesh. It is a traditional food in Sylheti cuisine that is served most dinner tables during the holy month of Ramadan. Being a staple food for iftar, Soft Khichuri at home and Akhni for serving the guest is a tradition of Sylhet. Aromatic rice mixing with various spices including ghee, kalozira and fenugreek to cook Kisuri. There are two types of Soft Khichuri; white soft khichuri (jau/zau) and yellow soft khichuri (kisuri). Chana, Chickpea, piyaju, Bakarkhani, potato chops, egg chops, Beguni, vegetables and leaf pakora, Jalebi, Sharbat, phirni are the side dishes of Sylheti Iftar items. Among the sweetmeats, Sylhet's specialty is Imarti. It is specially made of without any food color for Iftari. Though it looks like jilapi, there is a difference between them in size and taste.
Kala bhuna is a meat curry made of beef or mutton, originated in Chittagong, Bangladesh. Different types of spices are needed to prepare this traditional dish of Chittagong. In Bengali, the word kala or kalo means black and bhuna means deep fry. Kala bhuna gets its name from its appearance, as the meat goes blackish during a long process of deep frying it with a plenty of spices. It has become popular also in other Bangladeshi cities like Sylhet, Khulna, Dhaka etc. Nowadays, this dish is also a favorite delicacy in mezbans, weddings, eids and in sehri or iftar during the time of Ramadan. Usually, Kala bhuna is eaten with plain rice, polao, porota, naan or ruti.
Beef Satkara is a part of Bengali cuisine consisting of rice, satkara citrus, and beef curry. Whilst having its origins in the Sylhet Division of Bangladesh, the dish has now gained popularity across the country and among the British Bangladeshi diaspora in the United Kingdom. At the time of Eid-ul-Adha, it is a famous dish. The presence of a citrus fruit makes the dish unique among Bangladeshi curries in terms of taste and aroma. A soupy variant of the dish is made with the bones of cow feet, and in other variants, the beef is sometimes replaced with fish or other meats.
Indian Indonesian cuisine is characterized by the mixture of Indian cuisine with local Indonesian-style. This cuisine consists of adaptations of authentic dishes from India, as well as original creations inspired by the diverse food culture of Indonesia. Indian influence can be observed in Indonesia as early as the 4th century. Following the spread of Islam to Indonesia and trading, Muslim Indian as well as Arab influences made their way into Indonesian cuisine. Examples include Indian biryani, murtabak, curry and paratha that influenced Acehnese, Minangkabau, Malay, Palembangese, Betawi and Javanese cuisine.
Then whisk yourselves off to the mother ship of all biriyani houses--Haji Biriyani in Old Town.
Dhaka is famous for many delicious food items. Among them Haji Biriyani is not only the best in Bangladesh but also among Bangladeshis living around the world. There are a few things that have been carrying great inheritance for decades in the ancient part of Dhaka city.
the shatkora lemon...native to Sylhet in Bangladesh, the citrus fruit looks like a grotesque cousin of lime, but is only larger and tastes like grapefruit
The red-white sticky type of fragrant 'Bireen Chaal' is only found in the Sylhet region, hence an undisputed trademark of Sylhet!
Sylhet favours fiery curries made with pastes of fresh and dried chillies, roots and spices. Dried and fermented fish called shutki are used in vegetable broths and dry dishes. Shatkora, a bitter and fragrant citrus fruit, as well as the extremely hot naga chilli, also form part of the local diet.
Bakharkhani is another accompaniment to Iftar in Sylhet. The practice of eating Bakharkhani with tea during Iftar or at night has been going on for ages. There are four types of sweet and savory bakharkhani, which cannot be found anywhere else but Sylhet, some vendors said.
A variant on the traditional name is Shahi Jilapi. This Jilapi originated in Chowk Bazaar...can range from 1 to 4-5 kg in weight.