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New Country, Old Culture

If you were to take one step into my house, the lingering smell of South Asian cooking

would smack you right in the face. The somewhat spicy, somewhat sweet smell is now integrated

into our household, and we are blind to it after it has lived with us since we moved in 14 years

ago. Only when guests come over does the potent smell take prey on those who have not been

desensitized. The smell is a result of my mother and grandmother cooking two to three times per

day, seven days a week, 52 weeks per year, every year. It is a part of my childhood that is often

looked over, just as an author does not mention every meal the protagonist eats. However, when

the author sets the scene for a meal, it is usually quite important when attention is drawn to a

mundane activity (Foster). Likewise, the food of my household allows me to draw attention to

another aspect of my Bangladeshi culture.

Bangladesh is a relatively new country, only gaining independence after the Bangladesh

Liberation War in 1971. However, people have occupied the Bengal region for many centuries.

The region itself has been growing and changing rapidly in recent decades. The Bengal region is

the area of present day Bangladesh, as well as the region of West Bengal in India. The primary

language spoken is Bengali. Thats about the extent of my knowledge about the history and

culture of the region.

Growing up in the Bay Area my whole life, I had never thought much of my ethnicity and

family history. It wasnt until my junior year of high school that it dawned on me that I wouldnt

be around my family in a rapidly decreasing amount of time. I had grown up surrounded by my

parents and their parents generations retaining the Bengali culture and traditions here in

America. Weekly family gatherings of traditional song and dance still continue to this day.

However, as I go off to college in a short few months, it seems as though I will not carry on the

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traditions and culture, as I have not taken the time to learn them. So, to learn more about the

history of my ethnic origins and the history and culture of my own family, Ive decided to ask the

question: How has Bengali cuisine evolved over time and mirrored the history of Bangladesh?

As previously stated, the Bengal region has been flourishing with life throughout history.

While the question being investigated explicitly refers to the history of the country of

Bangladesh, Bengali cuisine refers to the cuisine of the modern regions of Bangladesh and the

state of West Bengal in India. For the purposes of researching the evolution of a cuisine, which

takes place over a long period of time, the history of Bangladesh will include the rich history of

how it eventually came to be a country as well. While the fight for independence is characterized

by pride for the Bangladeshi culture, other countries influence must be credited as well for

adding to the evolution of the culture, and thereby the cuisine. The evolution of Bengali cuisine

is linked to the influence of other cultures in Bangladesh.

Before discussing influences on Bengali cuisine, the cuisine prior to outside influences

must be examined. The predominant influence that started to shape Bengali cuisine to what it is

today is the influence of European traders and conquerors. Prior to the influx of Europeans, the

Bengali cuisine featured heavy use of the staple food of rice, which continues to be a staple

today. One Portuguese traveler noted, The rice here is far better than the European one,

especially the scented variety, for besides being very fine and of a most agreeable flavour, it has

after being cooked a nice smell which one would think a blending of several scents (Roy 478).

Fruits and meat were featured in the diets of people who could afford them, while those who

couldnt sustained on rice and a few vegetables. In the 9th century, there were already over 40

different kinds of rice, 60 different kinds of fruit, and 120 different kinds of vegetables in the

region (Walker 291). So even prior to outside influence, the Bengal region thrived on multiple

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varieties of fruits and vegetables. The Portuguese travelers comment is reflective of the attitude

of European traders, who noted these many varieties available in the Bengal region. This made

the region a good target for traders looking to bolster sales through acquiring these exotic fruits

and rice from another land.

Prior to 1947, the modern countries of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh were all

collectively one country under name of India. The first significant outside influence within the

Bengal region was made by the Mongol kings of the 16th century (Ray). Then, the British

governed India for nearly two centuries, from 1757 to 1947. The British stay had large effects on

the cuisine, as the British and the Indians engaged in trade that was mutually beneficial to each

others culture. The British brought tomatoes, potatoes, and chillies, which were then

incorporated into the diet of many Bengali people.

On the influence of outside cultures on Bengali cuisine, I interviewed my mentor Roselyn

Sarkar in her home in Concord, California. She lived in Bangladesh until she was 19 years old,

before moving to Florida. In university, she studied various world histories, and is very

knowledgable on European history. She is also the mother of two, cooking traditional Bengali

food for both her children and her husband. In her quiet, dimly-lit home, I received some

valuable insight into how the British and Portuguese made lasting impacts on the cuisine of

Bangladesh. Growing up in Bangladesh, she noted in the interview that the older generation

would drink English tea in the morning. This is a direct result of the British influence on the

region, Sarkar noted, They will boil the milk with the tea leaves, and Bangladesh has a huge

area in the north-eastern side where they grow beautiful tea leaves. After further research, the

north-east region is called Sylhet, and it is the primary region for growing tea (About

Bangladesh). Many of these teas are not available in the Americas. On the Portuguese, Sarkar

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mentioned the large ports of Bangladesh in the Bay of Bengal. Lots of Portuguese people came

to the region on ships and brought their cuisine too, bringing food like meatloaf and pasta into

the region.

As the region progressed through the 19th and 20th centuries, the tension between the

Bengal region and the surrounding regions was becoming increasingly problematic. In 1947,

there was a great divide in the country of what was then India. After the British finally left, two

independent nation-states emerged: the Hindu-dominated India and the Muslim-dominated

Pakistan (Dalrymple). Immediately, millions upon millions of people migrated to where they felt

that they belonged. Hindus and Sikhs went to India while Muslims sought out Pakistan. Where

was Bangladesh in all this? Pakistan lied on two opposite sides of India, so they were

appropriately named West Pakistan and East Pakistan. The latter is what we now know today as

Bangladesh. This religious divide between Pakistan and India contributed heavily to the cuisine

of both nations. In Hinduism, beef is sacred, so the cuisine of India does not feature beef.

However, since Pakistan is a mostly Muslim country, pork is outlawed in both East and Western

divisions. This is how beef came to be so popular in Bangladeshi cooking, while pork is never

used.

While the major trading influences of the British and Portugal and the religious influence

of the Indian-Pakistani divide account for the general evolutions to the Bengali cuisine, there are

many other countries that add their minor influence as well. These minor additions accrue into

significant changes that make the Bengali cuisine so unique and diverse. The reason that Bengali

cuisine is able to be so volatile is that the caste system in Bangladesh has always been much

weaker than it is in neighboring regions of India and Pakistan (Sen). This allowed the populated

cities of Bangladesh to include Jews, Armenians, Chinese, and Anglo-Indians (Sen). Of these,

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Chinese influence on the cuisine is the most pronounced. The introduction of the infamous

monosodium glutamate (MSG) savored local taste buds through sweet corn (Dept. of Tourism).

Mushrooms were previously unknown to Bengali cuisine, and are now extremely popular due to

Chinese influence. This was mutually beneficial, as the Bengalis spiced up bland Chinese food

with exotic spices and chillies.

In 1971, the Bangladesh Liberation War was fought between East and West Pakistan. East

Pakistan fought for its independence with the aid of India and earned its sovereignty from West

Pakistan, becoming the modern country of Bangladesh. In modern times, the rapid

westernization of the country is what has characterized both its history and evolution of cuisine

since its birth just shy of 50 years ago. In order to experience a little bit of what modern Bengali

culture is like, I visited the restaurant Mehran in Pittsburg, California.

As I walked into Mehran, I already felt out of place. For over the past five years, I've

subconsciously distanced myself from my own ethnic culture. My family is from Bangladesh,

and I am the first of my family to be born in America. However, in the recent years I've found

myself unable to speak as much as I could previously, leading me to fear speaking further,

causing an endless cycle of straying from the language. I felt uncomfortable as I always do when

I enter into places where my native tongue could be tested.

Along a shabby road in Pittsburg lies Mehran, a restaurant specializing in Indian and

Pakistani cuisine. For the purposes of my project, it is close enough to the Bengal region for me

to find parallels. Memories of renting out the space for multiple family anniversaries and events

come rushing through my mind. The degraded location and simple appearance of the exterior is

reflective of the thousands of buildings that are densely packed in modern Dhaka, the capital of

Bangladesh. However, what is on the outside does not necessarily reflect the inside. The interior

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is laced with the colors of red and yellow, the common colors of many festivals in Bangladesh.

While not expensive, the minor decoration still appears elegant in its simplicity.

I ordered a basket of mixed naan, a traditional type of bread in the cuisine, and baingan

bharta, a popular dish in Bangladesh made by cutting up eggplant. While baingan bharta is also a

popular dish in some states of India (like West Bengal), it so popular throughout the country of

Bangladesh. While most restaurants typically only serve plain and garlic naan, I was fortunate to

try cheese naan and onion kulcha. Kulchas are a type of flatbread that resemble naan, however,

they are typically round rather than naans more elliptical shape. The cheese naan and onion

kulcha were delightful, experiencing the slight hints of cheese, onions, and green chillies as they

complement each others taste in my mouth. However, the baingan bharta dominated the plate. It

was served on crunchy toast, adding a much-appreciated contrasting texture to the somewhat

mushy dish. Unlike many Bengali dishes, there was not much spice added. Nonetheless, the

smoky flavor of the thickened mixture of eggplant and seasoning helped me experience the rich

flavor present throughout Bengali cuisine.

For modern influences on the country, I got a chance to interview Sharley Biswas, a

genial elderly Bangladeshi woman who lives in Richmond. Mrs. Biswas has lived for multiple

decades in Bangladesh before moving to America, experiencing the Liberation War first-hand. I

interviewed her over the phone, sitting in the comfort of my own home. On modern influences,

Biswas noted how the younger generation loves to eat out and try different cuisines. The rapid

globalization of the capital city, Dhaka, has brought lots of different types of food like Chinese

food, Thai, Burmese, Vietnamese, English, traditional American like McDonald's, Pizza Hut, and

KFC. Biswas mentioned how education is also a factor in the modern evolution of Bangladesh.

More than ever, young people are attending college and learning more about nutrition and how

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to be healthy, Biswas said. Knowing the nutritional value of food has influenced the way they

eat. An example Biswas provided was that 20 years ago, people would keep the fat in the meat

because it would keep the meat more tender. However, now people are more aware of cholesterol

and things like that so they started to eat lean meat. Even the staple of white rice is being opted

out for brown rice, which is known to be have more nutritional value. Biswas also noted how

women are becoming more busy, attending university and entering the workforce: lots of

women are working so they dont have time to cook, instead they buy food from outside.

Another modern influence on the country has been people migrating to and from the Middle

East. As Bangladesh is majority-Muslim, journeys to countries like Syria, Lebanon, and Saudi

Arabia are not uncommon. This Middle Eastern influence has brought about the recent influx of

lamb in Bengali cuisine, producing dishes such as lamb kabob and lamb curry.

In summary, food has evolved in Bengali cuisine through the outside influences of

countries, with large parts also attributed to factors like religion and education. The authentic

food is evolving as Bangladesh is evolving with new knowledges and new discoveries.

From my paper, I learned how the Europeans had a huge influence on the culture and

cuisine of Bangladesh. I also learned that the food is undergoing rapid change currently with the

effects of globalization on Bangladesh. Perhaps this paper would be exciting to write again in 20

or 30 years. I learned about myself that I hadnt tried many authentic Bengali foods like fish

dishes, traditional sweets, and many vegetable dishes like the baingan bharta I tried. I think I

would rephrase my question to specify how the food mirrors the Bengal region rather than the

history of Bangladesh, because the history of Bangladesh is just too short without enough

documentation on it to come up with conclusive evidence. It was pretty easy to find out the

outside influences on Bangladesh, but I really wanted to focus on the more modern effects. As I

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said, there is little to no documentation on the modern effects on the cuisine of Bangladesh.

There was very little I could find in websites, and even less in books. As is reflected in the length

of my writing, most of my information on the modern Bangladesh was obtained through my

primary sources of interviews. I am very glad that we were required to interview, as I personally

gained so much more information from those than the Internet. For topics that are unsaturated

such as mine, I believe that personal interviews are far superior than scavenging for potentially

unreliable sources on the internet.

My mentored project has not really changed from my paper, however, I have learned a

great deal about what goes into making Bengali food. My project is to make Bengali dishes, and

I now know about the basic spices that go into every dish, and maybe now I can identify which

ingredients are not native to the cuisine.

As for personal growth, I believe that I carried out the usual way I go about research

papers, with the addition of personal interviews. I think I will most definitely rely on

interviewing professors in college if I get the chance, as I think that will be a great addition to my

papers that will help me bolster my papers against all the other intelligent people in college.

My paper is related to the topics of history, foreign relations, and international studies.

These topics are undoubtedly the ones that Ive despised in high school, and many of my peers

were shocked that I wasnt doing something related to science or technology. However, I think

that I was fairly engaged in this topic as it has to do with something that is very close to me - my

culture. I am glad that taking on topics that Ive never been interested in before has proven to be

quite fun and an interesting experience. I will carry this information throughout my life, and

perhaps even pass it onto my own kids. My research assuredly will not stop here. Even if Im not

going to write a paper on it, Ill still keep learning about my roots.

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Works Cited

Print Sources:

Roy, Atul Chandra. History of Bengal: Mughal Period (1526-1765 A. D.). Calcutta, 1968.

Walker, Harlan. Food on the Move: Proceedings of the Oxford Symposium on Food and

Cookery, 1996. Devon, England, Prospect Books, 1997.

Electronic Sources:

About Bangladesh. RateTea, ratetea.com/region/bangladesh/77/. Accessed 21 Mar. 2017.

Dalrymple, William. The Mutual Genocide of Indian Partition. The New Yorker, The New

Yorker, 21 June 2015, www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/06/29/the-great-divide-

books-dalrymple. Accessed 17 Mar. 2017.

Dept. of Tourism, West Bengal. Historical Sketch. Bengal Cuisine,

www.bengalcuisine.in/history. Accessed 17 Mar. 2017.

Ray, Sutapa. An Introduction to Bengali Cooking. The Bengali Gourmet, 2012,

sutapa.com/intro.html#history. Accessed 17 Mar. 2017.

Sen, Colleen Taylor. The Portuguese Influence on Bengali Cuisine. Oxford Symposium on

Food and Cookery , 1996, Accessed 17 Mar. 2017.

Primary Sources:

Biswas, Sharley. Experienced Bangladeshi citizen, Richmond CA. Personal Interview. 17 March

2017.

Sarkar, Roselyn. History major and mother that cooks, Concord CA. Personal Interview. 7 March

2017.

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