Kolkata cuisine
Encyclopedia
Kolkata
, an obscure village till advent of the British in the late 17th century, rose to become one of the world's largest urban agglomerations
by the end of the 20th century. This growth was fuelled by people from all over India and the world, giving Kolkata a diverse and cosmopolitan culture
and, more importantly, a rich and unique culinary heritage.
cuisine emerged from the already rich and complex Bengali cuisine
but added many distinct new notes, some invented but many derived from the communities that chose to settle down in the city and adapted their foods to local tastes. The Kolkata Chinese are the best known by far, but many other communities
were also deeply influential. The Jews brought bakeries to Kolkata, the Marwaris
contibuted their sweet-making skills, the exiled families of Wajid Ali Shah
and Tipu Sultan
brought different flavours of Mughlai cuisine. British patronage and the Babu Rennaissance fuelled the development of these different culinary strands into a distinct heritage.
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, an obscure village till advent of the British in the late 17th century, rose to become one of the world's largest urban agglomerations
World's largest cities
This article ranks the world's largest cities, in population or land area, using a variety of ranking methods.-Ambiguities in measuring the "size" of a city:...
by the end of the 20th century. This growth was fuelled by people from all over India and the world, giving Kolkata a diverse and cosmopolitan culture
Kolkata culture
Kolkata has long been known for its literary, artistic and revolutionary heritage. As the former capital of India, Kolkata was the birthplace of modern Indian literary, artistic and scholastic thought...
and, more importantly, a rich and unique culinary heritage.
Ethnic Influences
KolkataKolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
cuisine emerged from the already rich and complex Bengali cuisine
Bengali cuisine
Bengali cuisine is a culinary style originating in Bengal, a region in the eastern South Asia which is now divided between the Indian state of West Bengal and the independent country of Bangladesh. Other regions, such as Tripura, and Barak Valley region of Assam also have large native Bengali...
but added many distinct new notes, some invented but many derived from the communities that chose to settle down in the city and adapted their foods to local tastes. The Kolkata Chinese are the best known by far, but many other communities
Ethnic communities in Kolkata
Kolkata, though comparatively young compared to the Indian city states like Delhi and Hyderabad, has nevertheless been a melting pot for international and Indian communities, even more so than the upscale and cosmopolitan Bombay and Delhi...
were also deeply influential. The Jews brought bakeries to Kolkata, the Marwaris
Marwaris
Marwari or Marwadi or Rajasthani people are Indian ethnic group, that inhabit the Rajasthan region of India. Their language Rajasthani is a part of the western group of Indo-Aryan languages....
contibuted their sweet-making skills, the exiled families of Wajid Ali Shah
Wajid Ali Shah
Wajid Ali Shah was the fifth King of Oudh, holding the position from 13 February 1847 to 7 February 1856....
and Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan , also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the son of Hyder Ali, at that time an officer in the Mysorean army, and his second wife, Fatima or Fakhr-un-Nissa...
brought different flavours of Mughlai cuisine. British patronage and the Babu Rennaissance fuelled the development of these different culinary strands into a distinct heritage.