If anyone asks me to name the thing that catches attention of guests most in a Bangladeshi marriage, I cannot stop myself from praising the world famous Bengali food. Weather it is Dhaka, New Delhi, or London, the Bangladeshi marriage food, complete with its traditional flavors and modern incarnations, are well-appreciated for its delicious taste and large variety. Though the Bangladeshi marriage cuisine has changed significantly in the past few years, the core culinary preparations continue to awaken taste buds and add to our enriching experience.
Bangladeshi Marriage Cuisine: Traditional Platter
Traditionally Bengali cuisine is known for its strong culinary culture, rich flavor, and variety. You can taste a fusion of India, Arabic, Persian, and ethnic food in Bangladeshi wedding ceremonies. Usually I have seen Bangladeshi marriage cuisine comprising of a three tier meal, the starter, the main meal, and the desserts. Whether it is a Hindu marriage or Muslim marriage in Bangladesh, guests are served with fried snacks, scallops, kebab, and roasted fish and chicken. Fried snacks, known as pakoras, usually have vegetables inside and are absorbed in thick batter of fresh and delicious flavours. I cherish the curliflower pakodas I had once in a Bangladeshi Hindu marriage in Dhaka. Indian potato scallops and Kebab, a kind of grilled, roasted meat dish cooked on a charcoal BBQ, are almost part of each and every Bangladeshi wedding food. Though lamb meat is not on my chosen menu, still I do not ignore them while attending marriages of my Bangladeshi friends. I really look forward to have shami kebab or meat with grounded chickpeas in all marriages.
Main meal in a Bangladeshi marriage has rice, curry, and salads of great variety. The entire Bangladeshi marriage food stuff exudes fragrant of Indian spices mixed in garnish of fried glazed onion. The rice variety in both Hindu and Muslim marriages include simple rice, mixed-vegetable rice, lemon rice, and cumin rice. Pulao and Biriyani are two specialties which are omnipresent and also the most sought after in Bangladeshi weddings. While the former has rice with vegetables, the later has chicken or mutton. Nowadays you are sure to found three to four varieties of Biryani in any marriage in Bangladesh.
Rice-based cuisines are eaten along with lentil soup and curries. Nonvegetarian specialities with gravy include meat korma, fish torakari or curry, and a large number of curry cheese and vegetables, such as mushrooms, brinjals, and curliflowers. Bangladeshi marriage food also include bread varieties, such as Luchi, Nan, Tondul rooti, chapati and paratha. Last year I had a special kind of bread in a Bangladeshi Muslim wedding, known as Mughal paratha.
The large number of sweets and desserts make Bangladeshi marriage cuisine unique and all cherished. While milk balls called rasgolla and donuts known as gulab jamun are served with sweet syrup. Expressos and dark chocolate truffles, ice cream, kheer, and halva or dense confections are also form part of the wedding food in Bangladesh.
Modern Fusion in Bangladeshi Marriage Cuisine
With changes in Bangladeshi matrimonial practices, the food served has also undergone transformation. Chinese, India, Italian, and Mexican cuisines also form part of every big fat Bangladeshi wedding. Chefs are called from high-end restaurants and even from foreign countries to prepare the mixed assorted feast. Various Bangladeshi matrimonial services offer catering taking into consideration the new age marriage food. However, notwithstanding the change, the originality of Bengali cuisine attracts the guests most in a Bangladeshi marriage.
