Bengalis are known the world over for their eclectic tastes and their undying love for food.Dishes in Bengali households comprise of both veg as well as non veg items .Moreover, people in Kolkata cant do without sweets as well as there are different varieties available in different seasons of the year.An important dessert with a Bengali meal is the sweet curd better known as ‘misti doi’ which is delectable even for visitors to the city.One can get the ‘misti doi’ at every sweet shop in the city.
It is not that Bengalis love only their own food,they are equally enthusiastic about Chinese,mughlai,as well as Punjabi food which is available at the dhabas scattered across the city. Recently a Japanese restaurant has also opened shop in Kolkata cashing in on the city’s reputation of being a foodie’s paradise.This proves the Bengalis immense passion for food and the eagerness to try out dishes of different cultures.
Some of the delicacies of a typical Bengali dish is preparations made from different fish such as chingrimacher malaikari(prawn curry),ilish paturi(hilsa fish in banana leaf),sorshe pabda(pabda fish with mustard paste),fried bhekti ,etc.In addition Bengalis also love having delicacies made out of different vegetables like mochar ghonto,potoler dolma,chanar dalna etc.In non veg dishes apart from fish Kolkattans have chicken and mutton too in their diet which are also prepared with different ingredients to satisfy their tastebuds.
Some of the sweets which are very popular are rosogolla,langcha,pantua,sandesh,dorbesh etc.The city is also famous for nolen gurer sandesh which is a sweet made with jaggery and milk as well as joynogorer moya available exclusively in winter.Chanar payesh and chanar polao are also big hits for the Bengali sweet tooth.People in Kolkata also love having snacks such as rolls from the roadside eateries present in every nook and corner of the city Another food which is very popular among Kolkata’s people is the Tibetan snack momo loved by one and all especially the young.There is a place called Tangra in Kolkata where people visit only for the large number of Chinese restaurants that are located there as Bengalis have a penchant for Chinese food.Even mughlai food such as chicken and mutton biriyani,kebabs,tikkas, chap served by popular restaurants like Arsalan,Shiraz,Aminia,Zeeshan etc also draw crowds all through the year especially during festivals.Even South Indian food like dosa,idli,sambar vada,uthapam are dished out by restaurants and small food joints across the city.Moreover,the ubiquitous phuchkawala is the one who the Kolkatans cannot do without specially for their evening snacks which is another added attraction for the foodlover.
Food is an integral part of Bengali culture.Each and every festival be it Durga puja,Kali puja,Saraswati puja, will definitely have either khichuri or pulao as bhog as well as sweets to go with it.Even in important ceremonies in Bengali households such as weddings,the main attraction is the food.Kolkata as a city offers a wide variety of food which is relished by both veggies as well as those who love non veg items.Hence if one who has a diverse taste in food and wants to try out different delicacies , Kolkata is the place to be.
