Calcutta on Your Plate-Nilosree Biswas

Book: Calcutta on Your Plate
Author: Nilosree Biswas
Photographs: Irfan Nabi
Publisher: Rupa Publications

I was provided a media copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Have you ever wanted to trace back the history of food?

What is known as Kolkata’s food today has its backstory embedded in 250 years of political, social and cultural history—a fascinating testimony of self-fashioned Bengali baboos, whose aspirations pushed the boundaries of Bengal’s traditional gastronomy, resulting in a new food universe. From the private kitchens of an exiled king and the homes of a handful of upper-class Bengalis, how some dishes became so popular is a thrilling story of taste, smell and savouring. To think that some of today’s signature dishes such as dum biriyani, kebabs, fish chops, kabirajis, cutlets, kathi rolls and Mughlai paratha were once exclusive to those who had access to the ingredients or for whom it was their ‘home food’, is perhaps overwhelming at some level. With influences of mostly two cooking styles—the English and the Mughlai-Awadhi, aided by contributions of the Portuguese and a pre-existing food habit from the medieval times, Calcutta’s foodscape underwent a sea change, impacting people’s lives, food habits, food procurement and the ways of social engagement. Calcutta on Your Plate touches upon this incredible journey of tastes, innovations, acceptance, indulgences and celebrations.

Calcutta on Your Plate by Nilosree Biswas is a wonderful journey of how Bengali food evolved over the years, and the impact of the various settlers brought into it. The book is very well researched and the gastronomical journey literally makes you wishing you could walk to a sweet shop in Kolkata and get some Sandesh. Reading history is always a tricky proposition but this book flows quite fluently and there is no moment that seems stretched or boring. There are interesting anecdotes that add a nice flavor to the narrative, and the extracts from various sources that reinforce the picture Nilosree was painting. Right from the very first cookbooks to the ones that survived the sands of time. I liked the fact that she does a comprehensive analysis of how the ingredients came to being, including the spices. She also explores the etymology of the names of some popular foods and brings to light the story of some names that have become common place. My favorite part of the book was the last section where we explore the history of the sweetmeats, and the anecdote about the clock did stand out for me.

For anyone looking for a detailed and well-written historical journey of Bengali food, I would definitely recommend this book. The book scores a 4.81/5 for me.

Get a copy of the book at your nearest bookstore or on Amazon India.