Bengali cuisine is a style of food preparation originating in Bengal, a region in the eastern South Asia which is now divided

between the Indian state of West Bengal and the independent country of Bangladesh. Bengali cuisine is well-known for the vast range of rice dishes and various preparations of freshwater fish. Bengali cuisine is rich and varied with the use of many speciali ed spices and flavours.

Historical influences
Bengali food has inherited a large number of influences, both foreign and South Asian, from both a turbulent history and strong trade links with many parts of the world.
Spread of Islam-!he Islamic influence came to Bengal a few hundred years after its

arrival on the western borders of India. While the religion propagated in the populace, the region remained isolated from the political and religious centres of "uslim India. !his meant that people retained many of their local customs and especially food habits.
Influence of the widows-In medieval Bengal the treatment of widows was much more

restrictive than was common elsewhere. !hey were usually not allowed any interests but religion and housework, so the kitchen was an important part of their lives# traditional cuisine was deeply influenced by them. !heir ingenuity and skill led to many culinary practices# simple spice combinations, the ability to prepare small $uantities %since widows often ate alone& and creative use of the simplest of cooking techni$ues. Since widows were banned of condiments such as onion or garlic, most traditional Bengali recipes don't use them# this is in stark contrast to the rest of the Indian subcontinent where almost every dish calls for onions and garlic. !his has led to a definite slant towards ginger in Bengali food, and even in many common fish dishes.
European and other outside influences-!he (uropeans came to modern Bengal soon after

the "ughals, but in small numbers. !he (uropeans brought cooking techni$ues, but also new ingredients and food items.
Partition of Bengal-!he partition of India from the British in )*+, separated West Bengal

from the present-day Bangladesh, causing a significant change in demographics. !he newly formed West Bengal was a small state in India dominated by the mega city of -olkata, which was already one of the largest cities in the world and about a $uarter of the population of the state. -olkata naturally came to dominate the food habits of the state. .n the other side of the border, Bangladesh was isolated by the international boundary and continued to develop a distinct cuisine of its own. !oday, three generations later, Bangladeshi and -olkata cuisines are $uite distinct.

Traditional Bengali cuisine

!he traditional society of Bengal has always been heavily agrarian; hunting, except by some local clans men, was uncommon. The rearing of animals was also not popular. This is reflected in the cuisine, which relies on staples like rice and al, with little place for game or meat. /ish is the dominant kind of meat, cultivated in ponds and fished with nets in the freshwater rivers of the 0anges delta. "ore than forty types of mostly freshwater fish are common, including carp varieties like rui %rohu&, katla, magur %catfish), chingi (prawn or shrimp), as well as shu ki (small dried sea fish). !alt water fish (not

sea fish though) Ilish %hilsa ilisha& is very popular among Bengalis, can be called an icon of Bengali cuisine. Almost every part of the fish %e1cept fins and innards& is eaten# the head and other parts are usually used to flavor curries. -hashi %referred to as mutton in Indian (nglish, the meat of sterili ed goats& is the most popular red meat. .ther characteristic ingredients of traditional Bengali food include rice, moshur al %red lentils), mug al (mung beans&, shorsher tel mustard oil, mustard paste, posto %poppyseed& and narkel %ripe coconut&. Bengal is also the land of am %mangoes&, which are used e1tensively2ripe, unripe, or in pickles. Ilish machh %hilsa fish&, which migrates upstream to breed is a delicacy# the varied salt content at different stages of the 3ourney is of particular interest to the connoisseur, as is the river from which the fish comes - fish from the river 45dda %4adma or 6ower 0anges& in Bangladesh, for e1ample, is traditionally considered the best.!o some part of the community, particularly from West Bengal, 0angatic Ilish is the best.!he p7ch phoron %/enugreek %methi& 8igella seed %kalon3i& "ustard seed or %rai or shorshe& /ennel seed %saunf or mouri& 9umin seed %3ira&&spice mi1ture is very commonly used for vegetables. A touch of g5rom m5shla or hot spices %elachi cardamom, darchini cinnamon, l5ng clove, te3 pata bay leaves, and peppercorn& is often used to enliven food. Another characteristic of Bengali food is the use of a uni$ue cutting instrument, the bothi. It is a long curved blade on a platform held down by foot# both hands are used to hold whatever is being cut and move it against the blade. !he method gives e1cellent control over the cutting process, and can be used to cut anything from tiny shrimp to large pumpkins. !raditional cuisine is very demanding in the kind of cuts of vegetable used in each dish, vegetables cut in the wrong way is often frowned upon. 4rosperity and urbani ation also led to the widespread use of professional cooks who introduced comple1 spice mi1tures and more elaborate sauces, along with techni$ues such as roasting or braising.

Bengali Meals
!he typical Bengali fare includes a certain se$uence of food - somewhat like the courses of Western dining. !wo se$uences are commonly followed, one for ceremonial dinners such as a wedding and the day-to-day se$uence. Both se$uences have regional variations, and sometimes there are significant differences in a particular course between West Bengal and Bangladesh. "t home, #engalis typically eat without the use of dining utensils; ka a (forks), chamoch (spoons), and chhuri (kni$es) are used in the preparation of food, but will almost certainly not be used to eat one's own food, e1cept in some urban areas. "ost Bengalis eat with their right hand, mashing small portions of meat and vegetable dishes with rice and lentils into lokma. In rural areas, Bengalis traditionally eat on the ground with a large banana or plantain leaf serving as the plate or plates made from sal leaves sown together and dried. !he elaborate dining habits of the Bengalis were a reflection of the attention the Bengali housewife paid to the kitchen. In modern times, thanks to Western influence, this is rarely followed anymore. 9ourses are fre$uently skipped or combined with everyday meals. "eals were usually served course by course to the diners by the youngest housewives, but increasing influence of nuclear families and urbani ation has replaced this. It is now

common to place everything on platters in the centre of the table, and each diner serves him:herself. 9eremonial occasions such as weddings used to have elaborate serving rituals, but professional catering and buffet-style dining is now commonplace. !he traditions are far from dead, though# large family occasions and the more lavish ceremonial feasts still make sure that these rituals are observed.

Courses in a daily meal

!he foods of a daily meal are usually simpler, geared to balanced nutrition and makes e1tensive use of vegetables. !he courses progress broadly from lighter to richer and heavier. ;ice remains common throughout the meal until the cha ni (chutney& course. !he starting course is a bitter. !he bitter changes with the season but common ones are k5rolla %bitter gourd& which is available nearly throughout the year, or tender nim leaves in spring. Bitters are mostly deep fried in oil, or steamed with cubed potatoes. 4ortions are usually very small - a spoonful or so to be had with rice - and this course is considered to be both a palate-cleanser and of great medicinal value.Another bittersweet preparation usually eaten in summer, especially in West Bengal, is a soupy mi1ture of vegetables in a ginger-mustard sauce, called shukto. !his is followed by shak %leafy vegetables& such as spinach, palong chard, methi fenugreek, or amaranth. !he shak can be steamed or cooked in oil with other vegetables such as begun %eggplant&. Steamed shak is sometimes accompanied by a sharp paste of mustard and raw mango pulp called -asundi. !he al course is usually the most substantial course, especially in West Bengal. %t is eaten with a generous portion of rice and a number of accompaniments." common accompaniment to al is bha&a (fritters). #ha&a literally means 'deep(fried'; most $egetables are good candidates but begun (aubergines), kumra (pumpkins), or alu (potatoes& are common. "achh bha3a %fried fish& is also common. !he ne1t course is the fish course. 9ommon fish delicacies include machher 3hol, tel koi, pabda machher 3hal, <oi machh, 9hingri machh %shrimp& malai curry, and bhapa ilish %steamed hilsa&. !hen comes the meat course. !he divide among the Bengalis of Bangladesh and West Bengal is most evident when it comes to the meat course. "eat is readily consumed in urban parts of Bangladesh and some consider it the meal's main course. -hashi mutton or goat meat is traditionally the meat of choice, especially West Bengal, but murgi chicken and im eggs are also commonly consumed. . /inally comes the chutney course, which is typically tangy and sweet# the chutney is usually made of am mangoes, tomatoes, anar5sh pineapple, tetul tamarind, pepe papaya, or 3ust a combination of fruits and dry fruits. )apo(papadum&, a type of wafer, thin and flaky, is often made of al or potatoes or shabu %tapioca& and is a usual accompaniment to the chutneys.

Mishi (Sweets)
Sweets occupy an important place in the diet of Bengalis and at their social ceremonies. It

is an ancient custom among =indus to distribute sweets during festivities. !he confectionery industry has flourished because of its close association with social and religious ceremonies. 9ompetition and changing tastes have helped to create many new sweets, and today this industry has grown within the country as well as all over the world. !he sweets of Bengal are generally made of sweetened cottage cheese %chhena&, khoa %reduced solidified milk&, or flours of different cereals and pulses. Some important sweets of Bengal are> Shndesh-"ade from sweetened, finely ground fresh chhena %cheese&, sh5ndesh in all its variants is among the most popular Bengali sweets. !he basic sh5ndesh has been considerably enhanced by the many famous confectioners of Bengal, and now a few hundred different varieties e1ist, from the simple kachagolla to the complicated abar khabo, 35lbh5ra or indrani. Another variant is the k5rapak or hard mi1ture, which blends rice flour with the paneer to form a shell-like dough that last much longer. shogolla-;5shogolla is one of the most widely consumed sweets. !he basic version has many regional variations. Pantua-4antua is somewhat similar to the r5shogolla, e1cept that the balls are fried in either tel %oil& or ghi %clarified butter& until golden or deep brown before being put in syrup. Chmchm-9h5mch5m %especially from 4orabari, !angail <istrict in Bangladesh& goes back about )?@ years. !his oval-shaped sweet is reddish brown in colour and it is of a denser te1ture than the r5shogolla. It can also be preserved longer. 0ranules of maoa or dried milk can also be sprinkled over ch5mch5m. Piha or Pithe-In West Bengal, the tradition of making cakes, locally known as pi ha, still flourishes. They are usually made from rice or wheat flour mixed with sugar, &aggery, grated coconut etc. )i has are usually en&oyed with the sweet syrups of khe&urer gur (date tree molasses). They're usually fried or steamed; the most common forms of these cakes include bhapa pi ha (steamed), pakan pi ha (fried), and puli pi ha (dumplings), among others. The other common pithas are chandrapuli, gokul, pati sapta, chitai pi ha, muger puli and dudh puli.)i has are usually a celebration of the new crop, and often associated with har$est festi$als. Several varieties of yoghurts such as mish i doi, custards, and rice pudding %khir or firni& are also popular in West Bengal. Sh5ndesh, chhanar 3ilepi, kalo 3am, darbesh, raghobshai, paesh, nalengurer sh5ndesh, shor bha3a and an innumerable variety are 3ust a few e1amples of sweets in Bengali cuisine.