Kolkata makes it to ‘World’s Top Food Destinations’: NRIs and Bengalis rejoice

A popular food website – Eater – which has over 2 million followers, has come out with a list of the world’s top 10 food destinations. Kolkata is the only Indian city to have made it to the list. Famous for its history, literature, colonial architecture, and theatre, Kolkata is also famous for its food. You should try the “deviled crabs at a midcentury cabaret and phuchka from a decades-old street vendor,” per Eaton’s suggestion.
Asian Voice spoke to the NRI community and Bengalis about this worldwide recognition for Kolkata, the City of Joy!
Arijit Ganguly from Bexleyheath (Kent) gushed about Kolkata and its food while speaking to Asian Voice. He said, “Being in London for almost 5 years, I still miss various street foods of Kolkata. Though we get some alternatives here, to feel the original or traditional taste of those items, we travel back to our hometown at least once a year.”
According to him, Kolkata can easily be called a food capital nowadays with a huge number of restaurants and food joints that have opened in the last few years. “But I personally miss the Kolkatan street foods. The wonder snack 'telebhaja' (fritters) is always on top of my favourite list. While walking through the north Kolkata lanes on a lazy evening, you can feel the harmony of the age-old city with dal bora, phuluri, aloor bom, aamer chop in hand which are freshly prepared by Hatibagan's famous Lakshmi Narayan Shaw. Or we can go for another round of traditional beguni, peyaji, dhoka, dimer devil or vegetable chop from Kashiramer telebhaja at Beadon street,” he said.
He is originally from Howrah, but he said the aura of oily yet mouth-watering telebhajas is spread across Bengal. It's a common spectacle to see a big crowd shouting to get their share of telebhaja in front of Ratan da's shop near Mandirtala, or Chandi's boma near the tram depot. “No adda is complete there without a bowl of muri (puffed rice) and the quintessential part of that Bengali cuisine - our very own telebhaja. On my last visit to Kolkata, I observed that after Covid years, consumers and sellers are both aware of maintaining proper hygiene while serving or packaging foods. Though there are few exceptions still on some roadside shops, the more they take proper measures early, the more it will help in keeping the telebhaja industry alive. I met a seller near Park Circus who had to take a risk by increasing the food item prices for making those more healthy. He now uses double refined oils for fresh frying and thick paper plates for serving. Though it took some time to win back his existing customers, I could see the smile back on his face again with long queues around his shop,” Arijit added.
Sharmistha Roy founder of Sharmi’s Kitchen told us, “As a Bengali cuisine specialist, a catering business entrepreneur in the UK and a born and bred Kolkata girl, I feel extremely proud and joyous that the City of Joy has featured in the Eater's top food destinations in the world. It truly reflects the variety and depth of so many tastes available to the people of the city due to the various influences of different cultures in its history. I feel the most important step of improvement in the culinary scene of Kolkata is to introduce a standardisation and certification of food hygiene rating by the local government to which all food businesses must adhere.”
Finally, Kolkata is getting its due recognition
Sayani Sengupta who runs Gooseberri Spices as a Home Chef and Catering Service Owner, said, “Being selected as one of the 11 top Culinary Destinations in the world, finally, Kolkata is getting its due recognition. 4 am winter Nihari and Paya Shorba, early morning Chinese breakfast of meatball soups, momos, dried meat, Kachori Sabzi, Goat Brain Chop, Meat Aloo Biryani, Heritage and Legendary Bengali Pice Hotels and Sweet Shops, Champaran Handi Meat to Litti Chokha near the Ghats of Ganges, the diversity is endless. Experiments in the kitchen of home chefs to cafes are on the rise. But what we need are increased use of locally cultivated ingredients like Kalimpong Ghee instead of butter, Binni Chal as our very own sticky rice, Kalonunia Chal for its supreme fragrance, Orange Tok Lebu from Sunderbans, ancient 3000 years of India's domesticated Kodo Millet and so much more on our plates, to decrease Carbon Footprint. And of course Michelin Stars. These should be the next steps forward.”
The neverending glory of Kolkata food
Rumki Paul, of Rumki's Golden Spoon, is a food blogger by profession, a Bengali by birth who feels that the first thing that promptly comes to her mind is the inimitable ranges of luscious food. Speaking to the newsweekly, Paul said, “We can call Kolkata the heart of foodies around the world. The authentic Mughlai dishes like - Kolkata Biryani, Chaap, Rezala, Korma etc. reflect the Mughal Empire’s involvement in Bengal. On the other hand, popular street foods like Fish fry, Mangsher chop, Fish chop, Veg chop and different types of roll recipes reflect the era of the British empire. Kolkata street food is incomplete without mentioning Fuchka, Churmur, Jhal muri, Singara, Khasta Kochuri, Ghugni etc. Kolkata’s Chinatown is a great destination for authentic Chinese & Indo-Chinese food. Fried rice, Hakka noodles, Chilli Chicken, Chicken Manchurian etc. are the finest example of it. Other than these, traditional Bengali food itself is a huge treasure which cannot be explained through words. Homemade sweets - Payesh, Pithe Puli are old-school recipes but still, Bengalis prepare them every year to get the essence of nostalgia and to carry forward the tradition.”
Why Kolkata is greater than anywhere else
Travel blogger Aniket Chattopadhyay said, “From Amudi, Lotey, Mourola to Bhola Bhetki and Hilsa people are fond of different types of fried fish. Like everywhere, if you consider Mughlai food, the recipes are made keeping the class in mind. Like Dewan E Khas and Dewan E Aam. Fish Fry in Kolkata is also like this. If you go to street foods like famous ones, Chitto Dar Dokan in Dacers Lane, Shankar at Triangular Park, Radhu Babu in Lake Market, Apanjan in Kalighat, Niranjanagar near GC Avenue or Alans kitchen in Central Avenue all of them serve fries that can serve middle-class food lovers. I think Kolkata is the only city in the world where food is really cheap and it can make your belly full even if you have only fifty rupees in your pocket. Fish, generally considered to be the most pricy among life proteins, Kolkata is a magical place when it comes to fish and fried fish.”