Bengali cuisine is one of the oldest cuisines
in India. It was originated in Bengal a
region in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent, which is now divided
between West Bengal and Bangladesh. Bengali cuisine mostly consist of fish, vegetables
serve with rice as their staple food. Rice is the staple, with many regions growing specialty rice varieties.
Bengalis are somewhat unique in their food habits in that nearly every
community will eat meat or fish.
The nature and variety of
dishes found in Bengali cooking is unique. Fresh sweet water fish is one of its
most distinctive features. Bengal’s countless rivers, ponds and lakes teem with
innumerable varieties of fish such as rohu, hilsa, koi or pabda. Prawns, shrimp
and crabs also found in abound.
Fish is the dominant kind of protein and is
cultivated in ponds with nets in the fresh water rivers of the Ganges delta.
Almost every part of the fish (except scales, fins and innards) is eaten unlike
other regions, the head is particularly preferred. Other spare bits of the fish
are usually used to flavor curries and dals. More than forty types of mostly
fresh water fish are common, including carp varieties like rui (rohu), koi
(climbing perch), the wriggling catfish family- tangra, magur, shingi – pabda
(the pink-bellied Indian butter fish), katla, ilish as well as shutki (small
dried sea fish). Chingri (prawn) is a particular favorite and comes in many
varities- kucho (tiny shrimp), bagda (tiger prawns) or galda (scampi).
“Prawn or Chingri” is said to be the most popular fish among the
Bengalis. Chingri is mostly taken during any occasions and festivals. The price
of prawns in Kolkata is quite high so it is mainly considered to be the fish of
special occasions.
“Hilsa fish” is considered to be one of most favorite
and delicious fish in the world. It
is the most popular fish to the Bengalis who call it as “Ilish”. It is found in
Indian sub-continent especially in Bangladesh. It is the national fish of
Bangladesh. It is an obvious food in a good number of festivities in Bangladesh
and India. Hilsa is also given as an offering to the goddess Lakshmi without which
Puja is thought to be incomplete. The Hilsa is synonymous with Bengal
and is considered the ‘queen’ of all Bengali fish.
The most widely eaten fish in Bengal is “Rui” or “Carp” that generally forms a
part of the everyday Bengali diet. It is in fact eaten daily in many families
and can be cooked in a number of delectable ways. Rohu when
cooked as deep fried and seved as an appetizer is very sweet in taste. The
prices of rohu are quite reasonable and that’s why they are preferred by people
who favour fish every day.
“Pabda” is a river fish and is
heavenly in taste. Today’s fish pabda is not only good to taste but it has also
got a single set of backbone in the middle, making it hassle free while eating.
It tastes delicious when cooked as a gravy with kalo jeera (nigella seeds).
“Katla”
is very tasty and enriched in high nutrional value. Katla fish
is also known as katol fish, Catla fish, Indian Carp etc.
“Koi”
(climbing perch) is also known as fresh water fish. It is mostly found
in Eluru of Andhra Pradesh and frequently exported to West Bengal from Eluru.
Nishita Sharma
PGPMC
2nd sem
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