Kolkata, a city moving as fast as the yellow taxies we find there. As the city was formed by East India company, many of capitalism do take place here. And of course with its customs and culture, the world is magnetized to it. The banks of river Hoogli, Durga Puja, their attire, and last but not least the language, are major attractions to the tourists.
But out of this all, there is one more reason to visit Kolkata, and that is the food served there. Every foodie and traveler must visit Kolkata to have some delicious local food. The system in which the food is being served is really a subject for study, maybe research.
Food a major source of livelihood which has a different form found in Kolkata. There are people who serve hot rice, fish curry (fish from sweet water), dal and some of the pickles, instantly from the church at the time of lunch, every roadside. Though the food is served roadside, they take proper care of hygiene and provide good filtered water in the mugs. The quantity of rice served is enough for one who barely has food all day long. This concept took a boost after the Independence of India, as the laborers were not able to carry their tiffins, such roadside cantinas emerged. The cost of lunch is 70-80 INR per person, with unlimited rice and curry.
Secondly, Kolkata is famous for the sweets we find there. These sweets are made out of milk products. The two famous sweets one must try in Kolkata are Rosgulla (Rasgullah) and Sondesh (Sandesh). Even the rosgulla found there are made from two by-products of sugarcane, that is, one from sugar and another from jaggery. The one made from Jaggery is found only in the state of Bengal as it has been kept a secret recipe by the state. Sondesh is one of product found in many varieties in any shop of Mithai(milk products shop). Every sondesh is a must try.
Another famous thing in Kolkata's dined is "Fish". Unless there is fish in the plate, the food is not said to be complete. There are a variety of fish dishes available. But most importantly, they are fish from the sweet water body. Fish curry, Fish fry, Fish pickle, etc are many dishes available at every season. Try if you could get the home products made by the granny in the house, and you would really be fascinated with the taste. Having fished with the Chole Batore is one of the best dishes ever had. The fish we get are in two types, that is, with and without bones. Both are awesome to try.
There are also many westernized food shops available in the city. But they can never be as good as this local food, so when you visit Kolkata, do try some of the food out of the hotels and the taste of the hard-working chefs who serve your food for their livelihood. Thank you.
~Kaushik Kulkarni.
