Food in Kolkata

Kolkata is known for its diversified food culture, a wide range of cuisines and varied cooking techniques. Bengali cuisine is very popular for their aromatic taste and delicious flavors. The main course is generally fish served with rice. The fish is either fried, or cooked it with gravy. Some Bengali's prefer eating steamed fish to avoid the intake of extra calories.

Kolkata, the city of culture and an abode of intelligentsia of the bygone era, has a food fetish. Marwaris have a role to play in the sweet tooth culture that Kolkata enjoys decadently and the Mughal rule has a hand in the saucy, meat-laden spiced concoctions that Kolkata serves.

Below is given a list of some popular foods that you can indulge in:

• Macher Jhol
• Chingri Macher Malaikari
• Doi Illish
• Kochuri & alurdom
• Bhetki Paturi
• Bengali Pulao
• Luchi

Taste the sweetness of these desserts and feel the difference:

• Rosogolla
• Rasmalai
• Sandesh
• Mishti Doi
• Cham-Cham
• Payesh/ Kheer

Bengalis are known for their love of food. After fish, which is the key dietary component, bitter gourd, pumpkin, brinjal, onion, beans et al and daals (lentils).

Multi course meals served in a regular Bengali household. A filling portion comprising of fish- nine out of ten times- and mutton or some other variety of meat at other times for the second course, household Bengali specialties like Shukto (vegetables mixed in ginger and mustard sauce) and Poshto (a poppy seed preparation) for the next, chutney or kasundi, a mustard dipping sauce, and papad (popadum) for added taste and mishti doi (yogurt sweetened with jaggery) or Sondesh (a delicacy made of sweetened cottage cheese or chhena) for desserts. Roshogolla, Ras Malai and Pantua (a sweetmeat similar to roshogolla) are other common dessert items.

Popular preparations are Beguni, fried & sliced brinjal, and Kathi Rolls, bread roll with stuffing ranging from chicken to egg to any vegetable of choice. 

Commonly consumed snacks range from Phuchka, Kolkata styled golgappas, to Jhalmuri which known as Bhel-Puri in other parts. Sometimes the muri (puffed rice) is taken with jaggery (gur) and this is called moa.

Kochori and alurdom is readily available to satiate anyone with a vegetarian palate. Pastries or cutlets are another favorite street food item. 

At the famous street food stalls of Kolkata you can find customers from different strata of society. Kolkata has a lip-smacking variety of dishes from all over India be it a Rajasthani thaali or a Tandoori dish a la Punjab or simply a Dosa or Uttapam from the southern part of India. Regular north Indian fare can be found on any street corner.

Being on the banks of Hoogly river and also its proximity to Bay of Bengal Kolkata is a hunting ground for fish lovers. The abundance and the range of sea food in Kolkata makes it a favorite place to satiate your taste.  Kolkatans are self professed lovers of fish and mostly anything aquatic and being a coastal region, fish preparations are prevalent across culinary styles and settings. 

Hilsa or Elish, a saltwater fish, would win the award for most loved food item of not just Kolkata but probably the state of West Bengal if it was ever up for a vote.

Park Street is the most famous destination for everything from evening time street snacks to a heavy dinner. Salt lake and Sarat Bose Road are popular for upscale continental food joints.

Kolkata deserves its place under the sun for the lovers of food in India. Due to the variety and the unparalleled taste it attracts the taste buds of all looking for tasty mouthwatering food in India.

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