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Calcutta on Your Plate
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.
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.
208 pages, Paperback
First published November 5, 2022
7 people are currently reading
41 people want to read
About the author
Nilosree Biswas
4 books7 followersCaffeine-dependent |
Occasional filmmaker |
Author of Alluring Kashmir-The Inner Spirit | Seeds Of Pomegranate
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 4, 2023
Hyderabad may have made it to list of UNESCO creative city for Gastronomy but if there is one city that truly deserves this tag then it is Calcutta. A melting pot of various cultures and Bhadralok’s penchant for experimentation, the gastronomic culture of the city has no parallel. The book is as much a anthropological study of the food culture as is its investigation into the various influences upon the city’s food culture. A delightful read for all foodies. The photographs are however a big let down and hardly merit a place for the photographer’s name in bold type face on the cover.
December 29, 2022
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.
December 28, 2022
Whenever you ask someone what comes to their mind when they hear Kolkata, food is definitely going to be one of the answers.
Kolkata or earlier known as Calcutta has always been a hub of literary, cultural, and culinary endeavors and this book, “Calcutta on your Plate” by Nilosree Biswas is an attempt on the part of the author to put forth an account of the historical roots of the present culinary aspects of this place.
Richly flavored by the English and Mughal influences, this book cooks up the mouth-watering journey of the cuisine of Kolkata, as it has emerged and evolved through time. The cultural, social, and developmental influences on food habits, eating preferences and consumption styles have been discussed in detail in this book.
Being a Bengali, even I was unaware of a lot of the facts that have been highlighted in this book and I am glad that I got a chance to discover so many new things.
If you are a foodie or a food enthusiast, this book is for you. Also, let me tell you that the pictures in this book are going to be a gastronomical delight for you!
Kolkata or earlier known as Calcutta has always been a hub of literary, cultural, and culinary endeavors and this book, “Calcutta on your Plate” by Nilosree Biswas is an attempt on the part of the author to put forth an account of the historical roots of the present culinary aspects of this place.
Richly flavored by the English and Mughal influences, this book cooks up the mouth-watering journey of the cuisine of Kolkata, as it has emerged and evolved through time. The cultural, social, and developmental influences on food habits, eating preferences and consumption styles have been discussed in detail in this book.
Being a Bengali, even I was unaware of a lot of the facts that have been highlighted in this book and I am glad that I got a chance to discover so many new things.
If you are a foodie or a food enthusiast, this book is for you. Also, let me tell you that the pictures in this book are going to be a gastronomical delight for you!
January 11, 2023
Doesn’t your mouth begin drooling upon smelling the delicious Roshogullas somewhere nearby? If it does, then I’m sure Mishti Doi, too, cannot help your taste buds from becoming super excited. Calcutta on Your Plate explores Bengali cuisine, from savoury desserts to quintessential fish curry with plain rice or aar. Every food item that’s prepared with love and attention to detail has a story that dates back several decades back when Kolkata was Calcutta. The British were keen on reconnoitring the eastern parts of India looking for better opportunities. One such opportunity was that of growing tea in Darjeeling and parts of Calcutta and globalizing the market.
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Read the full review here: https://www.aliveshadow.com/category-...
January 26, 2023
An enjoyable read (3.5) which left me more hungry than content. Not all plates of Calcutta are described, and there is a lot of focus on the food of the affluent Calcuttans of high caste and class backgrounds, with an undertone of obsession with colonial Calcutta pervading the entire text.
The book does justice to the parts it covers; I particularly enjoyed the section on how women led the process of dissemination of “outside” food culture in Calcutta. More on immigrant and subaltern food, beyond the Nawab’s Biriyanis and the Babu’s feasts, would have done justice to the premise of the book.
The book does justice to the parts it covers; I particularly enjoyed the section on how women led the process of dissemination of “outside” food culture in Calcutta. More on immigrant and subaltern food, beyond the Nawab’s Biriyanis and the Babu’s feasts, would have done justice to the premise of the book.
January 18, 2023
Do you enjoy #foodhistory reading? Then, definitely add this book to your library request #tbrlist
This is a highly informative book about the rich histories of Calcutta’s foodscapes. The talented scholar delves into 250 years of political, social and cultural history— it makes for a fascinating read.
This book is overflowing with details & delights.
It is a read to be savored & relished.
This is a highly informative book about the rich histories of Calcutta’s foodscapes. The talented scholar delves into 250 years of political, social and cultural history— it makes for a fascinating read.
This book is overflowing with details & delights.
It is a read to be savored & relished.
April 18, 2023
"To visit Bengal without traveling on the great rivers which intersect that province would be almost as bad as going to Agra without seeing the taj Mahal, and one may see something of the rivers and appreciate the importance as highways of commerce without making the long journey to Dibrugarh."
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The bengali food that people devour today has much changed over the course of time. The savouries posses a significant history that dated back to early 16th century. Although there is a mammoth change in the way of its preparation and taste, the originality still persuades through the generations. With amalgamation of the style of Portuguese, English, Mughals, Nawabs and neighborhood regions, the food of Calcutta boasts of its diversity and richness.
.
Calcutta on Your Plate is a well researched book on the origination of the sought after food of Calcutta. Be it the famous juicy rosogollah, crispy kababs or the delicious dum biryani- every tale has its own interesting backstory to tell.
.
With the 4 broad chapters, the author explores the different sections of people wit their changing preferences and demands, the preparation techniques and its evolution and the twists of modernization.
.
I had great expectations from this book. But all I could get was the writing style similar to boring high school textbooks. The narrative wasn't fast paced and I was stucked with this book from the past few months. Too much of historical tribes and personalities aren't my cup of tea. Apart from that, I loved the colored-glossy photographs of the foods added in the book. Necessary citations has also been made to ensure its validation.
.
The bengali food that people devour today has much changed over the course of time. The savouries posses a significant history that dated back to early 16th century. Although there is a mammoth change in the way of its preparation and taste, the originality still persuades through the generations. With amalgamation of the style of Portuguese, English, Mughals, Nawabs and neighborhood regions, the food of Calcutta boasts of its diversity and richness.
.
Calcutta on Your Plate is a well researched book on the origination of the sought after food of Calcutta. Be it the famous juicy rosogollah, crispy kababs or the delicious dum biryani- every tale has its own interesting backstory to tell.
.
With the 4 broad chapters, the author explores the different sections of people wit their changing preferences and demands, the preparation techniques and its evolution and the twists of modernization.
.
I had great expectations from this book. But all I could get was the writing style similar to boring high school textbooks. The narrative wasn't fast paced and I was stucked with this book from the past few months. Too much of historical tribes and personalities aren't my cup of tea. Apart from that, I loved the colored-glossy photographs of the foods added in the book. Necessary citations has also been made to ensure its validation.
August 29, 2023
This book was surprisingly a good and very enjoyable read for me (I don't like non-fiction). It felt like reading a historical, food-political essay written in lucid language. I love history, I love politics, I love food, and combining it all was the best thing this book did. Apart from this, I absolutely loved reading and was eagerly flipping the pages because of how the author devoted large sections of the book to women's involvement in society and gradual empowerment through one thing available to them - food. More importantly, it did not miss out on calling out the upper caste behaviour Indian history has been holding on to.
June 3, 2023
A detailed account how the foreign influence seeped into the cuisine of Calcutta and expressed themselves in the form of Kofta, Kalia, Cutlet,Kosha, Biryani and many others.The past century witnessed the mass adaption of the foreign food, their cooking techniques, new raw ingredients and their lifestyle.The changes in the food culture got triggered by introduction of Tea, globalization of trade and extensive social exchanges.
🦐
Written in layman language, the anecdotes and the excerpts from different sources made this food journey quite interesting and engaging.The author traces the transformation of the food plate of the common and elite under the influence of Nawabs, British, Portuguese and French.How the changes broke the social barriers and made the food of the elite few become a part of daily life of the common folk.
🦐
A book to be relished and enjoyed by the food lovers.I would recommend this book to everyone.
🦐
Written in layman language, the anecdotes and the excerpts from different sources made this food journey quite interesting and engaging.The author traces the transformation of the food plate of the common and elite under the influence of Nawabs, British, Portuguese and French.How the changes broke the social barriers and made the food of the elite few become a part of daily life of the common folk.
🦐
A book to be relished and enjoyed by the food lovers.I would recommend this book to everyone.
July 19, 2025
so, i really liked the book. it's very concise, delivers what it promised to deliver. the photographs however were heinous. absolutely terrible. SO much could be done with the pictorial representation, but well.
reading this book was tough, because you cant read a book about food when you've just had your meal, and your stomach if full to the brim that the thought of food makes you puke. you can't read it when you're relatively empty stomach-ed because it'll make you hungry. hence, i finished this book while i was sick and my taste buds had gone off to sleep! it was pretty fun, i read about biriyani without getting immense hunger pangs, that was pretty cool ig!
but yeah, overall a very fun read :0
reading this book was tough, because you cant read a book about food when you've just had your meal, and your stomach if full to the brim that the thought of food makes you puke. you can't read it when you're relatively empty stomach-ed because it'll make you hungry. hence, i finished this book while i was sick and my taste buds had gone off to sleep! it was pretty fun, i read about biriyani without getting immense hunger pangs, that was pretty cool ig!
but yeah, overall a very fun read :0
February 3, 2023
This book, Calcutta on Your Plate explores Bengali cuisine, from savory desserts to quintessential fish curry with plain rice or aar. There is art, science, and psychology behind the preparation of every good dish. Indian food is famous across the globe, and it is to be accepted with a whole honest heart that we look out for an Indian restaurant in foreign lands.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews