Bengali cuisine is appreciated for its fabulous use of panchphoron, a term used to refer to the five essential spices, namely mustard, fenugreek seed, cumin seed, aniseed, and black cumin seed. The specialty of Bengali food lies in the perfect blend of sweet and spicy flavors. For Bengalis, food is one of the most essential aspects of their day to day lives. Ladies spend lot of time in the kitchen cooking delicious feast for the family.
The staple food of people in Bengal is rice and fish. A typical Bengali needs to have fish in every meal; otherwise there is a feeling that the meal is incomplete. There is an ample stock of fish in every household, because fish is cooked frequently, almost on a daily basis. Even the Brahmin Bengalis relish fish. Fish is a part of every festivity celebration. To lend a distinctive flavor to the fish, it is deep fried in mustard oil and then cooked in gravy.
Most of the cooking is done using mustard oil. Traditional Bengali food always ends up with mishti and sweet curd. Bengali food is famous for its mithais (sweets). The origin of typical Bengali sweets can be traced back in the traditional household kitchens. The most popular Bengali mithai is rasogolla, which is enjoyed by people all over the country.
When it comes to cooking fish, there are unlimited options. You can either fry, or cook it with gravy. Some Bengalis prefer eating steamed fish to avoid the intake of extra calories. Another great option is to saut the fish with curd. The fish market in Bengal is always stocked with wide varieties of fish, the popular ones being salmon, hilsa, bhekti, magur, carp, rui and prawns. To fully relish their meal, Bengalis eat the food with their fingers. It is indeed quite exigent to find authentic Bengali dishes outside the Bengali kitchen.