CarolCooks2…A-Z World Cuisines…Part 7…Bangladesh…Seven Coloured Tea!

Welcome to my new A-Z …World Cuisines…where I will be looking at the countries of the world, their food and national dish or their most popular dish around the world…by this I mean some dishes are eaten in many countries as their fame has spread around the world…I have Chel to thank for giving me some ideas from which this one took shape…Thank you Chel x

Today I am looking at the cuisine of Bangladesh…

Nestled between India and South East Asia…Lies Bangladesh, to the east of India on the Bay of Bengal, a South Asian country that is blessed with lush greenery and many waterways. Its rivers create fertile plains, and travel by boat is common. On the southern coast, the Sundarbans, an enormous mangrove forest shared with Eastern India, is home to the magnificent Royal Bengal tiger. 

Rice, fish curry, and lentils are the most common traditional Bangladeshi food … Bangladesh is also famous for its desserts. You will find dozens of sweets, rice cakes, rice puddings, and many other desserts in Bangladesh, mostly made from rice and cow milk.

Its food has been shaped by its diverse history and its particular geography. Bangladeshi cuisine is influenced by Mughlai cuisine and many Persian, Turkish, Arabic, and Indian dishes are popular here.

Hilsa (or ilish) curry is the national dish of Bangladesh, made from the Hilsa fish, and is one of the most popular traditional Bangladeshi dishes.

The Hilsa fish is marinated in turmeric and chilli paste, before slowly frying on a low heat and serving with mustard gravy and rice.

Bangladesh is also famous for its tea rooms…The largest of these and what is considered to be the most picturesque is Lakkatura,, in the northeastern city of Sylhet …this estate covers 3,200 acres…Established in 1875 the estate produces 550 tons of tea each year…Tea has a long and colourful history here and long before this region started producing tea Bengal was the terminus for the famous “Tea Horse Road”…which is a tale for another day…

In Sylhet, tea is so plentiful that a local tea shop owner invented the now-famous “seven-colour tea” or Saat Rong in Bengali.

A well kept secret the tea is made from seven different mixes with spices and milk because of the different densities of these mixes the teas are layered into glasses made of tempered glass which create its beautiful striped effect.

This seven colour tea has attracted prime ministers such as the prime minister of Bangladesh plus a Qatari ambassador who it is said enjoyed it so much he paid 7,000 taka ($83) for his glass.

Bangladesh has remained largely agricultural, with nearly half the population employed in this sector in the early 21st century. Rice is the predominant agricultural product, but jute and tea, both of which are key sources of foreign exchange, also are important.

Indeed, the country is one of the world’s leading suppliers of raw jute. Other major agricultural products include wheat; pulses, such as peas, beans, and lentils; sweet potatoes; oilseeds and spices of various kinds; sugarcane; tobacco; and fruits, such as bananas, mangoes, and pineapples. The country also is a leading producer of goat milk and goat meat.

Indian food is very popular around the world and many of the restaurants serve Bangladeshi cuisine, like Bhunas. Pilau, Biryani, Puri, Dal’s…

Ghee is widely used as is yoghurt and chillies… mutton is often used in mainstream Bengali cuisine…with influences from cooks of the Mughals …

Street Food…I love street food and one of my dreams is to taste the street food of Bangladesh…unfortunately I couldn’t find one that Mark Weins did in Bangladesh for me his food videos are the best…

I hope you have enjoyed learning a little about the cuisine of Bangladesh…

Thank you for joining me today I look forward to your comments…

36 thoughts on “CarolCooks2…A-Z World Cuisines…Part 7…Bangladesh…Seven Coloured Tea!”

      2. CarolCooks2 Post author

        Mmmm not sure as is different thicknesses to hold the stripes…I would love to try it though but the price is quite high so guessing it must be nice unless after paying that much no one wants to say otherwise 🙂

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    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      Thank you, Colleen.. Yes Thai iced tea is lovely I would love to try that seven coloured tea though… I love wring these posts and discovering the differences in cooking styles and foods ❤️x

      Liked by 1 person

  3. D. Wallace Peach

    The fish curry sounds and looks amazing, Carol. I love curries and will make a point of seeking something like this out when I visit Indian restaurants. And the Seven Colored Tea captured my attention. How unique and beautiful. Now, if I can only get a taste. Lol. I loved learning a little about Bangladeshi cuisine. Thanks for the fun post. 🙂

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    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      Thank you, Jacquie I will give it some thought..I have written a few different A-Z’s all on food…no surprise there…lol…Have a great weekend 🙂 x

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  14. beetleypete

    I have been going to Indian restaurants since I was in my late teens. But it wasn’t until 12 years ago that I discovered that 90% of them are owned and run by Bangladeshis or Pakistanis, and very few are actually ‘Indian’. I have never had the fish curry you showed, but have probably tried everything else on offer during the last 54 years. 🙂
    Best wishes, Pete. x

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    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      Fish curry is really nice I have eaten it a few times… Yes, it’s surprising how many Indian restaurants there are around the world but not in the USA by all accounts…Although in recent years they have seen an upturn in the popularity of Indian Food 😊x

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