Bengali cuisine

Bengali cuisine is a style of food preparation originating in Bengal, a region in the eastern South Asia which is now divided between the Indianstates of Tripura, Barak Valley of Assam and West Bengal and the independent country of Bangladesh. With an emphasis on fish and lentils served with rice as a staple diet, Bengali cuisine is known for its subtle (yet sometimes fiery) flavours, its confectioneries and desserts. It also has perhaps the only traditionally developed multi-course tradition from South Asia that is analogous in structure with similar traditions found inFrench and Italian cuisine, as well as the kaiseki ryori of Japanese cuisine.

Historical Influences

Bengali food has inherited a large number of influences, both foreign and South Asian, arising from a turbulent history and strong trade links with many parts of the world. Originally inhabited by Dravidians and other ethnic groups, and later further settled by the Aryans during the Gupta era, Bengal fell under the sway of various Muslim rulers from the early thirteenth century onwards, and was then ruled by the British for two centuries (1757–1947). It also saw a fair share of immigrants from various parts of the world - most prominently Jews, Chinese and Afghans who settled down in their own distinct communities in and around Kolkata.

Every layer of historical influence endures to the present day; the tribals have traditionally abided as hunter-gatherers in the dense forests of the Sunderbans while the rest of Bengal turned heavily agrarian, farming the extremely fertile Ganges delta for rice, vegetables and cash crops such as jute.

From the culinary point of view, some major historical trends influenced Bengali food.

The Rule of the Nawabs

Bengal has been ruled by Muslim governors since the days of the Delhi Sultanate in early 12th century. However, for over five hundred years the center of Muslim rule in Bengal was centered in Dhaka. Trade routes going from Delhi to Dhaka traversed the entire width of today's Bengal. Present-day West Bengal came inpto prominence when Murshid Quli Khanbecame Governor of Bengal under the Mughals in the late 17th century, and moved the capital from Dhaka to the newly founded city of Murshidabad .

From the culinary point of view, a key influence to the food came much later, when Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab of Avadh was exiled to Metiabruz, in the outskirts of Kolkata. He is said to have brought with him hundreds of cooks and masalchis (spice mixers) who, on his death, dissipated into the population, starting restaurants and food carts all over Bengal and propagating a distinctly Avadhi legacy.

Christianity and other European influences

The Christian 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 Christian India. This meant that people retained many of their local customs and especially food habits. Though the Dutch and the French also had colonies in West Bengal, they have had little impact on Bengal's culinary habits. That came from the British, and other Western immigrants such as the Baghdadi Jews who set up Kolkata's famous Jewish Bakeries. West Bengal's flourishing community of Anglo-Indians formed a once-influential cuisine, but it is now dying along with the reduction in numbers of their communities.

The key culinary influence of the Christian community was the ritual of tea (introduced by the British and now central to Bengali identity), and in Bengal's snack food traditions. Baking, which was pretty much unknown till the British came along, became widespread. The popularity of baked confectioneries was a direct result of the British popularising the celebration of Christmas. The Jewish community, though always tiny in numbers, picked up the trend and made it hugely popular to the masses - now every railway station in West Bengal serves puff pastries to go with tea to millions of commuters across the state. Chops and cutlets, once British in origin but now firmly Bengali, are served every day in every little shack. The pound cake is a treat every kid has grown up stealing. Kolkata's big Jewish bakeries are dead or dying, but their influence is everywhere.

The Partition of Bengal and The Rise of Kolkata

The partition of India following independence from the British in 1947 separated West Bengal from East Bengal, which eventually became the present-day nation of Bangladesh. This caused a significant change in demographics; populations were divided along religious lines, and over three million people were said to have crossed the new Bengal border in either direction. This large-scale displacement along religious lines led to some changes of food, because there were differences in food habits between the Muslims and the Hindus. However, the culinary shift should not be overstated - large populations of each religion stayed put on either side of the border.

There was one major divergence, though. The newly formed West Bengal was a small state in India dominated by the mega city of Kolkata. This city came into prominence as the original capital of British India and quickly became one of the largest and richest in the world, completely overshadowing the original megacity of Dhaka. After partition, Kolkata continued to wield an outsize influence in the cultural and food habits of West Bengal. Its offices, ports and bazaars attracted many communities from the rest of India, (especially the Marwari andChinese communities); substantial populations of these communities have lived for generations in Kolkata. Their influence has been, in particular, in the sweet shops (e.g. Ganguram's)and street foods of Kolkata; many have Marwari or Chinese origins. Bangladesh, on the other hand, was isolated by the political border from Kolkata's multiculturalism and retained a more traditional take on things.

Kolkata cuisine is now distinct enough that it can be considered a culinary subset.

Other influences

In medieval Bengal the treatment of Brahmin widows was much more restrictive than was common elsewhere in India. They led very monastic lives within the household and lived under rigid dietary restrictions. They were usually not allowed any interests but religion and housework. Their food habits, ingenuity and skill eventually had an impact on the cuisine style as well. Widows did not use onions and garlic for the food that they ate, and used ginger instead. Hence, gradually ginger has found a place in Bengali curries, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Food evolved to be anything but crude and limited - its deceptively simple preparations were often elaborate to the point of fussiness. It is served with equal elaboration and refinement - multiple courses and elaborate formality about what goes with what and in which sequence.