Bangladesh Food Guide

Bangladeshi cooking is a culinary art form that has been passed down the generations. It is a tantalizing blend of wonderful and fragrant spices that will keep you coming back for more.

Rice is the staple food of the Bengali people. Fish, lentils and vegetables constitute the main dish. A typical Bangladeshi meal consists of beef (or sometimes mutton, chicken, fish or egg) and vegetables cooked in a hot spicy sauce with mustard oil, yellow watery lentils (dal) and plain rice. Fish is part of the staple, and due to scarcity of fresh water fish, sea fish is becoming popular. A special dish called the "paturi" is prepared where the fish is wrapped in banana leaves and roasted along with spices and served hot. While there is little chance to taste this dish in a hotel, the ever-hospitable Bangladeshis may serve this at home. Prawns are widely available and the delicious dish called "malai curry" is a must taste.

If you’ve got a sweet tooth, this is the place to be. Bengali cooking is also known for it's wide array of sweets made from milk. Rasho-gollah, kalo-jam, shandesh, mishti doi, shemai, chamcham......the names go on and on. The popular drinks are "chai" or a milky, sweet tea and "lassi" or a yogurt drink.