All about asian food: Bangladesh Food and Culture

Food of Bangladesh

Bangladeshi food is parallel to Bengali food. The staple food of the people in Bangladesh is rice and fish. There are over 40 varieties of fish that are used in the cuisine of Bangladesh. Some of the commonly used fish are rui, rohu, katla, magur and chingri. Hilsa is a variety of fish that is also a favorite among the Bangladeshis.

One of the most relished items among the people of Bangladesh is the platter of the panta ilish. It consists of panta bhat and fried hilsa fish. A side-dish of fried shutki fish is served. The platter also consists of dal, onions and fresh green chillies.

The people of Bangladesh also enjoy variety of rather delightful sweets that include roshgulla, sandesh, gulab jamun and a huge variety of milk-based sweets.

Culture of Bangladesh

The people of Bangladesh enjoy folk music which is mainly in the Bengali language. The traditional folk songs in Bangladesh are also many a times based on tribal music. Folk music such as Bhatiali, Baul, Marfati, Murshidi and Bhawaiya revolve around many themes. Most of the music is spiritual, mystical, devotional and also romantic. Some very famous and loved artists and lyricists like Lalon Shah, Hason Raja, Kangal Harinath, Romesh Shill and Abbas Uddin have won the hearts of Bangladeshi people with their music. The classical music in the whole of the Indian sub-continent has been the home of the ancient classical music since Vedic times. This beautiful and mesmerizing music is still performed in all the nations of the sub-continent.

The bamboo flute which is known as the banshi is a very commonly used instrument in Bangladesh. Some of the other instruments that are used are drums that are known as dole, ektara which is a single-stringed instrument, a four-stringed instrument by the name of dotara and a pair of cymbals are used to create the rhythm are known as mandira.

Dance and drama are also a very attractive and beautiful part of the culture of Bangladesh. Even today, dancers perform the traditional and classical dances Bharat Natyam and Kuchipudi, which have been prevalent in the sub-continent since the Vedic times.

Bangladesh is also one of the biggest centers of art and crafts in the Indian sub-continent. The nakshi kantha which is an embroidered quilt, originated in Bangladesh. Handicrafts like pottery works, jute works, metal ware, textile are some of the handicraft industries flourishing in Bangladesh.

One of the most widely celebrated festivals in Bangladesh is the Pohela Boishakh, which is the first day of the new year in the Bengali calender. The holiday of Eid ul-Fitr, is also widely celebrated in Bangladesh. Nationwide prayers are held on the day of Eid. On this day, the whole of Bangladesh enjoys the famous sweet shimi. The other national holidays and festivals that are celebrated in Bangladesh are National Mourning Day (on August 15th in remembrance of the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the nation), Language Movement Day (or Martyr's day celebrated on February 21st) and Independence Day (March 26th), Durga Puja and Muharram.

Though, the nation of Bangladesh is very young, its people have already established it as a cultural hub in the sub-continent.

Bangladeshi cooking is a culinary art-form. A taste tantalizing blend of wonderful and fragrant spices that will keep you coming back for more. Many non-Bangladeshis have probably eaten Bangladeshi food without knowing them. For example, over 80 percent of the "Indian" restaurants in the U.K. serve Bangladeshi food. If you loved it, it was probably Bangladeshi.

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.

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Thursday, March 10, 2011

Bangladesh Food and Culture

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