Bengal has a great historical influence of the Dravidians, Aryans and the Muslim rulers and the Europeans to the present day cuisine. The upper reaches of west Bengal are influenced by the cuisines of Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and Assam. This Indian state is intersected by the Ganges and the Brahmaputra rivers with a network of innumerous tributaries making the soil one of the best for growing crops. The fish is also consumed in abundance by this region’s citizens. Rice is the staple crop which is grown thrice in a year, so its preparation is found in variety, in almost all the meals and gobindobhog is considered the best. Rice is served along with moong dal or moshur dal. Apart from rice, mustard, mustard and other green vegetables are profoundly grown that is why this region is called Sonar Bangla. They also use coconut, banana and betel trees in abundance.
Cooking medium for all the dishes is mustard oil. All vegetables are tempered with a combination of 5 spices mixture known as punch phoran (onion seeds, methi (fenugreek seeds), saunf (fennel seeds), mustard seeds and jeera (cumin seeds) or posto bata (poppy seed paste). All Bengalis, whether Brahmins, or non – Brahmins are inclined to fish, which they call us jal toria and no meal is complete without it. The water of Bengal provide them innumerable varieties of fishes like Hilsa ilish, rohu rui, katla, magur, shrimps chingri. They are also drawn towards dry fish shutki. Dishes like maachher jhol and machher shukto are penchant to every tongue.
Fruits like mango, narikel (coconut), and bananas are cooked to style in different preparation. As the region has lots of pasture and fodder, so cattle rearing is extensive and milk is in abundance. Different milk preparations can be listed in the world class sweets they prepare: – rassogolla. Chumchum, sandesh, lady kini, lyancha and above all the mishit doi are all time favourites. The morning of every Bengali starts with light meal like luchi with curry, singara (samosa), jilapi (jalebi) and cha, lunch is obviously with jhal moori (spiced puffed rice) and alloor chop (battered fried potato dumplings) or phoochka (pani puri) and the dinner culminating again with rice and fish preparations.
