The
Essence of.....Bangladesh
An exploration of the world through food and drink
Essence -ial Information
|
UK Tourist Office |
High Commission |
|
Currency |
Taka |
|
Capital |
Dhaka |
|
Language |
Bangla/Bengali |
|
Main Airlines |
Emirates/Qatar/ |
|
Flying Time from UK |
8000 kms |
|
Visa |
Visa on arrival for up to 90 days |
PROFILE
Bangladesh covers an area of roughly 144 000 square kilometres. This area can be divided into two distinct areas - a broad deltaic plain and a small hilly region. The deltaic plain is the larger of the two and has wonderfully fertile soil. It is also subject to frequent flooding. The hilly area is found in the southeast of the country and is made up of the Chittagong Hills. The country shares its borders with India and Burma (aka Myanmar) and has roughly 600 kilometres of beautiful coastline. The country is also dotted by rivers and streams - many of which culminate in the picturesque Bay of Bengal. Roughly 16% of Bangladesh is covered with forest and woodland and as a result, the country is able to harvest large quantities of timber, bamboo and sugarcane. The Sundarbans on the southwest coast serve as a popular tourist destination due to their housing the world-renowned Royal Bengal Tiger.
Climate
Bangladesh has a tropical monsoon climate characterized by rain bearing winds, moderately warm temperatures and high humidity. Winter is mild, dry and sunny with average daily temperatures ranging between 50-80 degree F (10-27 degree C). January is the coolest month in the winter season which lasts from November to February. During winter, the eastern half of the country receives an average of less than 7 inches (180 mm)of rain, and the northwest receives less than 3 inches (75 mm).
April and May, the season of little rains, that are important to farmers waiting to plow their fields for an early crop, bring more than 150 inches (380 mm) of rain to the eastern half of the country. This is the hottest season of the country with an average daily maximum temperature of around 90 degree F(32 degree C) and a minimum temperature of 70 degree F (21 degree C). The rainy season properly extends from June to October when the monsoon air stream sweeps in from the Bay of Bengal. During this time, Bangladesh receives heavy rainfall. Except for some parts in the west, it generally exceeds 60 inches (1500 mm) annually. Large area of the south, southeast, north and northeast receive 80-100 inches, and northern and northwestern part of Sylhet area receive 150-200 inches. Although temperature do not exceed the high 80's on most days during the season, they vary only slightly and may fall by only 10 degree F at night. The rainfall in April, September and October is crucial to the farmers. Without April showers to soften the ground, farmers may have to delay sowing the early rice crop - Aus, and major cash crop - jute. The little rains are erratic in an incidence and variable in quantity with concequent uncertainity for agricultural production. Failure of the late rains can seriously reduce the main crop - rice.
Cuisine
Bangladesh, land of poets and artists, is also known for its delicious food. Cooking is considered an art, and as a guest in a Bengali home, one never lacks for delicious foods. Bengali curries, pulaos, and sweets are loved the world over.
Boiled rice is the staple diet of the Bangladeshi's. Mustard and soyabin oils are used as the cooking medium. Fish is a must for all meals. Hilsa, very tasty but full of small bones, is ihe most popular of all fish is available in the rainy season. Many types of fresh water fish are also available and widely used.
In an average Bengali home, the main meal would consist of boiled rice served with some sort of fried vegetables. This forms the first course of the meal. It is followed by rice and soupy lentils (dal). The third course is rice which is eaten with fish curry or on special occasions meat curry. For the most special occasions chicken curry is preferred. Very rich families also eat similarly, but eat more mutton and chicken.
Two types of sweets are favourite in Bangladesh - sweetened yoghurt and sweetmeats. Bengali sweets are well known all over the sub-continent and are very popular. They are mostly milk sweets such as sandesh, roshagulla, rosmalai, gulab jamun, chom chom, and kalo jam. The yoghurt is pink in color and very sweet like custard. Foreigners usually find these too sweet at first, but most people soon learn to enjoy them
Regional Variations
* South - Barisal Division, Chittagong Division and Khulna Division, being close to sea, tend to have a larger use of sea fish in their cuisines as well as lots of coconut milk. Shutki, which is an especially treated dry fish, is extremely popular in these areas. Chittagong also exports shutki.
* Dhaka - As a cosmopolitan city that has historically been the capital under various rulers, Dhaka has a very high level of Western influence in its cuisine. Dishes involving fried rice and a lot of meat are usually legacies of Dhaka's past as the capital of Bengali empires. Much of this is still visible in the old city, where dishes like birani, Mughlai porota and bakorkhani are made by speciality stores, many of which have existed for over a century.
* West and North-west - The West and North-west have, until recently, been untouched by the fashions and trends in the capital, Dhaka. As a result, the high level of Persio-Arabic influence in the cuisine in and around Dhaka area is absent, or less pervasive, here. Vegetable curries heavily occupy the main eating in these areas. Also, higher level of use of spices is common. River fish (sweet water fish) are common in the dishes.
* North-east - Large number of lakes around the Sylhet Division (where many of the UK Bangladeshus come from) encourages greater use of lake fish in the cuisine. Because of proximity to the hills in Assam, several fruits and pickles that are otherwise absent in rest of the country, such as satkorhai, are used in cooking and serving, producing a distinct nature to the dining menu here.
The staples of Bangladeshi cuisine are rice, atta (a special type of whole wheat flour), and at least five dozen varieties of pulses, the most important of which are chana, toor urad and mung. Pulses are used almost exclusively in the form of dal, except chana, which is often cooked whole for breakfast and is processed into flour (besan).
The most important spices in Bangladeshi cuisine are garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, turmeric and chilli. In sweet dishes, cardamom and cinnamon are amongst the natural flavours.
Staple across the country however is rice and dhal. As a large percentage of the land (over 80% on some occasions) can be under water, either intentionally because of farming practices or due to severe climatological, topographical or geographical conditions, not surprisingly fish features as the major source of protein in the Bangladeshi diet. There is also a saying which goes, "Mach-e Batth-e Bangali" (Fish and rice make a Bangladeshi).
In the UK it is largely accepted that the Bangladeshi community has been responsible for the huge popularity of 'Indian' cuisine both here and elsewhere in the world. They have been very market aware and adaptable, creating dishes suitable to local consumption that have sometimes ended up in being imported back into Bangladesh such as the famous 'Chicken Tikka Masala'.
Over two thirds of the so-called Indian restaurants in UK are owned or operated by Bangladeshis and the industry continues to grow and develop.