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Hi, I am a masters student and I am working on a term paper on diasporic foodscapes

with special emphasis on the Bengali diaspora in England. I will be very grateful for all
the assistance that I can get! So here are the questions please take the time and
patience to answer them:1. Give a brief introduction of yourself. If you are new (relatively) to England then
where in Bengal/ Bangladesh are you from? Or if you were born and raised in
England then where did your parents come from? Were they first generation
migrants or not?
Born 1968, England, uk. Parents fr. Sylhet, bangladesh. Arrived in 1960s. first gen fr.
Their families.
2. How important is food in your life?
Very important
3. What food do you most enjoy cooking/ eating? Major influences on your cooking
(Bengali or otherwise) and a little about your favourite ingredients (vegetables,
fish, spices, etc.)
Fish, rice, daal, veg, etc
Major infl. Bengali
Favourite all of the above
4. What part of England do you live in and how has living there influenced your
taste in food? Influences could include those of other ethnic groups or from the
natives. Have you had to adapt certain traditional recipes because of
unavailability of ingredients etc.?
London , england
Friends fr. All over the world, incl English.
No need to adapt any recipes now, everything is available in local shops.
5. Where do you go to shop for special traditional ingredients? Give examples.
Local shops, markets and supermarkets, incl organic & locally grown/sourced produce

6. Is food an important part of festivals and Bengali community gatherings in your


area? Do such functions include cooking of community feasts or is the food
ordered from restaurants? (Durga Puja/ Eid/ etc.)
Food important in all social/cultural gatherings, Bengali or otherwise. Large events
require caterers otherwise friends or family provide.
7. Do you enjoy eating out? If yes then what do you like to eat most when out and
why? Do you prefer food from your own culture or you like to experiment?
I eat out all the time, I eat what I fancy at the time Bengali or otherwise, I can get
food fr my own culture from family any time I want.
8. Are you expected to stick to Bengali cuisine at home? If yes then how does that
make you feel? Do you consciously try to experiment?
No, to all qs above.
9. What are your favourite places to eat out?
Local food places to where I live or visiting at the time.
10. Do you see your food as a bridge between your traditional homeland and your
foster home?(India/ Bangladesh and England). If you are a parent do you try to
educate your kids about the traditional food? If yes then why do you do so?
No bridge needed to any homeland. Where my family live is my homeland and
thats the uk.
11. What are your views about the popular curry invasion in England? Do you see it
a triumphant turning of the tables?
What curry invasion? bangladeshis have been very successful at selling curry to
people in the uk, its the nations favourite dish. Not that difficult in England where
food was very poor post ww2, food improved because of immigration to uk by many
different people.
I will be very glad if you could provide me with answers for the questions as clearly
as possible. Let me have the answers by 30.10.11

Thanks for your help!

Regards

Pallavi Sanyal
JUDE
Calcutta, India

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