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The cuisine of West Bengal encompasses the cooking styles, traditions, and recipes associated with the modern Indian state of West Bengal. It has its own distinct characteristics, but it is very similar to the wider Bengali and Indian cuisine, partly historically and partly due to the import of ingredients and ideas from other regions of India and from foreign lands during the time of the British Raj. [1] The cuisine of West Bengal is largely composed of Bengali cuisine, but also includes the cuisines of smaller ethnic groups and indigenous peoples.
Some traditional meals, such as rice and fried fish and Machher Jhol , kosha mangsho, vegetables, and various dishes of fresh water and salt water fish. [2] The various plaques found at Chandraketugarh, the Brihaddharma Purana , the Mangal-Kāvya , Bengali cuisine and food habits and food items of the people of West Bengal can be traced back to the roots. [3]
The cuisine of West Bengal has been influenced by foreign ingredients and cooking styles since the Middle Ages, mainly during the Mughal rule. Biryani was introduced to West Bengal by the Mughals, and the Chinese food arrived in Kolkata through the Chinese community. However, the localization of foreign food items occurred through Bengali cooking styles and ingredients. [4]
Modern cuisine in West Bengal has gradually become distant from ancient and medieval cuisine, one of the reasons for this is the cuisine of different cultures that have arrived in West Bengal at different times. However, items such as rice, fish, and vegetable existed in ancient times; which are popular for creating historical continuity between historical and modern cuisine. In the southern part of West Bengal, especially in the Rarh region, the use of oil and spicy in food is less than in East Bengal. West Bengal's cuisines are highly influenced by the cooking of the Tagore household. [5] Watery vegetable Soup are popular in the hilly areas, including Darjeeling, and steam is used to prepare food. [6] [7]
The cuisine of West Bengal has been influenced by Portuguese, Mughal, and British ingredients. The cuisine of West Bengal is less influenced by Mughal cuisine than Dhaka as well as East Bengal. [8] However, it is believed that Indian Chinese cuisine originated in Kolkata, which is a variation of the cuisine of West Bengal. The influence of Tibetan and Nepalese cooking styles is prominent in the hilly regions. [6] [7]
There are many food items that can be considered West Bengal's (broadly Bengali) dishes due to their ingredients, there are some which are quintessentially West Bengal. Dishes like Gobindobhog chaler payesh ; sweets dishes like Kolkatar rasogolla, Sarbhaja-Sarpuria, Lyangcha, Komolabhog; various types of sandesh including Jolbhora; Aloo Posto, Dhokar dalna, Gohona Bori are considered to be symbols of the cuisine of West Bengal.
Cantonese or Guangdong cuisine, also known as Yue cuisine, is the cuisine of Guangdong province of China, particularly the provincial capital Guangzhou, and the surrounding regions in the Pearl River Delta including Hong Kong and Macau. Strictly speaking, Cantonese cuisine is the cuisine of Guangzhou or of Cantonese speakers, but it often includes the cooking styles of all the speakers of Yue Chinese languages in Guangdong.
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 cuisine encompasses several significant regional cooking styles of Asia: 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, also known as Eastern 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.
Malay cuisine is the traditional food of the ethnic Malays of Southeast Asia, residing in modern-day Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Southern Thailand and the Philippines as well as Cocos Islands, Christmas Island, Sri Lanka and South Africa.
Bengali cuisine is the culinary style of Bengal, that comprises Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, 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, 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 and Durga Puja.
Biryani is a mixed rice dish, mainly popular in South Asia. It is mainly made with rice, a choice of meat and lots of seasonings and spices. To cater to vegetarians in some cases, it is prepared by substituting vegetables or paneer for the meat. Sometimes eggs 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.
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. 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.
Indian Chinese cuisine, Chinese Indian cuisine, Sino-Indian cuisine, Chindian cuisine, Hakka Chinese or Desi-Chinese cuisine is a distinct style of Chinese cuisine adapted to Indian tastes, combining Chinese foods with Indian flavours and spices. Though Asian cuisines have mixed throughout history throughout Asia, the most popular origin story of the fusion food resides with Chinese labourers of Calcutta, who immigrated to British India looking for work. Opening restaurant businesses in the area, these early Chinese food sellers adapted their culinary styles to suit Indian tastes.
The culture of Bengal defines the cultural heritage of the Bengali people native to eastern regions of the Indian subcontinent, mainly what is today Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal and Tripura, where they form the dominant ethnolinguistic group and the Bengali language is the official and primary language. Bengal has a recorded history of 1,400 years. After the partition, Bangladeshi culture became distinct from the mainstream Bengali culture, thus their culture evolved differently, still there are many commonalities in Bangladeshi culture & West Bengali culture which connects them both together as Bengali culture.
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.
Awadhi cuisine is a cuisine native to the Awadh region in Northern India and Southern Nepal. The cooking patterns of Lucknow are similar to those of Central Asia, the Middle East, and Northern India and western India with the cuisine comprising both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. The Awadh region has been influenced by Mughal cooking techniques, and the cuisine of Lucknow bears similarities to those of Central Asia, Kashmir, Punjab and Hyderabad. The city is also known for its Nawabi foods.
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.
Chinese regional cuisines are amongst the many different cuisines found in different provinces and prefectures of China as well as from larger overseas Chinese communities.
Mughlai paratha is a popular Bengali street food consisting of a flatbread (paratha) wrapped around or stuffed with keema and/or egg. It is believed to have originated in the Bengal Subah during the time of the Mughal Empire as a derivative of the Turkish Gözleme or the Yemeni Motabbaq. The dish is believed to be prepared for the royal court of Mughal Emperor Jahangir.
Paratha is a flatbread native to the Indian subcontinent, with earliest reference mentioned in early medieval Sanskrit, India; prevalent throughout the modern-day nations of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Mauritius, Fiji, Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago where wheat is the traditional staple. It is one of the most popular flatbreads in the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East. Paratha is an amalgamation of the words parat and atta, which literally means layers of cooked dough. Alternative spellings and names include parantha, parauntha, prontha, parontay, paronthi (Punjabi), porota, paratha, palata, porotha, forota, farata, prata, paratha, buss-up shut, oil roti and roti canai in Malaysia and Indonesia.
Gohona Bori is a dried dal dumpling. It is popular in Bengali cuisine. It is a well known food item in Purba Medinipur. It is also known as Naksha Bori. It is made with black lentil, Poppy seed and various spices. In 2016, IIT Kharagpur applied to get the geographical Indication for Gohona Bori.
Aiburo Bhaat is a traditional Bengali pre-wedding ritual where brides and grooms have a farewell meal at their parents homes. This ritual is observed two days before the wedding and is believed to bring good luck to the couple's future together.
চন্দ্রকেতুগড়ে ১৭০০ বছরের পুরনো মাছের ছবি খোদাই করা ফলক পাওয়া গিয়েছে।[A 1700-year-old plaque with a fish image has been found at Chandraketugarh.]