FoodReference.com Logo

FoodReference.com   (since 1999)

 

Home   |   FOOD ARTICLES   |   Food Trivia   |   Today_in_Food_History   |   Food_History_Timeline   |   Recipes   |   Cooking_Tips   |   Food_Videos   |   Food_Quotes   |   Who’s_Who   |   Culinary_Schools_&_Tours   |   Food_Trivia_Quizzes   |   Food_Poems   |   Free_Magazines   |   Food_Festivals_and_Events

Food Articles, News & Features Section

  You are here > 

HomeFood ArticlesArgentinian to Indian Cuisine >  India: Bengali Cuisine

Next

 

FREE Magazines and
other Publications

An extensive selection of free food, beverage & agricultural magazines, e-books, etc.

 

See also: Food Tour of India;   Regional Indian Cuisine

BENGALI CUISINE

 

The Bay of Bengal skirts the coast of the eponymous province of northeastern India, cantering around Calcutta.

     Bengali cuisine’s staple food is boiled rice. The main protein source for the population here is fish. The sea acts as a “cold storage” for this valuable food. It is always fresh in the market place by necessity, as even the most primitive cooling method (crushed ice) is expensive. Plantains, potatoes, other tubers, beans and water lily roots are eaten more here than anywhere else in India.

     Northern and southern Indians like hot and spicy curries. In Bengal, curries are sweet and succulent, softly flavoured with cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and mace. There are variations on curry blends, and in fact, in India and Bengal stores hardly ever sell curry. Each household has its own blend that women grind and blend daily for fresh and focused flavour.

     Chutneys, particularly mango and mustard chutney is a staple of Bengali cuisine.

     Marinated shrimp stuffed with coconut and boiled is a specialty people cherish.

     In general, Bengali cuisine is simpler than northern Indian cooking, but equally flavourful because of the freshness of ingredients and use of less potent spices.

The favourite bread here is Loochi (puri elsewhere) and is prepared using both white and whole-wheat flour. Mustard seed oil and gingili (sesame seed oil) are used for cooking. Dal is a poplar sauce hereabouts.

     Sandesh, rasgulla, gulab jamun, puddings and dum aloo,(potatoes, almonds, raisins and yoghurt) are popular desserts, but generally, fresh fruit concludes meals.

     Loochi, fried eggplant and dum aloo, or fish and vegetable curry with rise and dal and seasonal fruit are popular everyday meals.
 

Article contributed by Hrayr Berberoglu, a Professor Emeritus of Hospitality and Tourism Management specializing in Food and Beverage. Books by H. Berberoglu
 

Go to Top of page

 

  Home   |   About & Contact Us   |   Chef James Bio   |   Website Bibliography   |   Recipe Contests   |   Food Links  

Please feel free to link to any pages of FoodReference.com from your website.
For permission to use any of this content please E-mail: james@foodreference.com
All contents are copyright © 1990 - 2024 James T. Ehler and www.FoodReference.com unless otherwise noted.  All rights reserved.
You may copy and use portions of this website for non-commercial, personal use only.
Any other use of these materials without prior written authorization is not very nice and violates the copyright.
Please take the time to request permission.