The Real Flavor! Yes, you heard it right!! If you are visiting Kolkata and not trying Street Food – I bet you are missing a LOT!!! If you really want to get the most out of The City of Joy, you just cannot ignore it. The real taste of the city lies deep within this Street Food.
Kolkata is one of those cities where history unfolds itself with every stride. It has witnessed huge transformation since 1690 when Job Charnock first established Calcutta by amalgamating three villages Gobindopur, Sutanuti and Kolikata. Till 1911, Calcutta was the capital of British India.
This entire area had been under different rulers in different periods. Portuguese, French, Nawabs, Rajas, Zamindars and of course Britishers. It was one of the most important trade gates for the country due to its geographical location. Because of this Kolkata welcomed a lot of foreign traders over a long period of time who arrived from different parts of the globe – and quite obviously people residing here kept adapting their culture, life style and of course FOOD!!
Food culture in Kolkata is probably one of the most versatile culture, if not the biggest, in the whole country. Begalees are phenomenal in adapting food – doesn’t matter where it comes from. The most important thing is they are quite good in modifying a food according to their own taste by making it a bit “Bangalee” type.
An example is Biriyani. We all know it was innovated by the Mughals and originated in Hyderabad. But now, in Kolkata we have a different kind of Biriyani, which is popularly known as Kolkata Biriyani. Surprising thing is Biriyani has now become a street food in Kolkata!!
Let’s take a brief tour of famous Kolkata Street food.
Roshogolla or Rasgulla
Kolkata is always famous for its Roshogolla and it is a widely known sweet across the world. Yes, you heard it right – across the world! Although now a days this sweet is available all over the country, but needless to say that you wont get the same taste and softness anywhere else other than Kolkata! No Bengali festival is complete without this wonderful sweet! Ranging between 5 and 20 rupees, it is a must-try sweet in Kolkata. And finally, our very own Wapuu Da is waiting for you with pots full of Roshogollas! It would be our immense pleasure to welcome you all with the real taste of Kolkata and share the sweetness of the City of Joy!
Ladikeni (Pantua)
Ladikeni is carrying a long history with it way back from the British era. This particular type of sweet was first introduced by Bhim Chandra Nag in the middle of 19th century, the famous sweet maker of Kolkata. It was specially prepared to show honor to Lady Cannning, wife of the Governor General of India, Charles Canning (1856-62). This sweet was named after Lady Canning and with time it has become “Ledikeni”. and now-a-days popularly known as Pantua. This is one of most popular sweet dishes in almost every Bengali festivals. You will find it in nay road-side sweet shop, doesn’t matter how small it is! Ranging between Rs. 5 and 20 rupees, it is one of the must-try food while visiting Kolkata.
Fuchka (Golgappa / Panipuri)
Too much mitha? Want to try some khatta? No worries! Kolkata has its very own Fuchka. You might have tried similar thing in many places already but Kolkata’s fuchka has its own signature… something extra ordinary! Try it or miss it!! Although it looks similar this street snack has got different names in different parts of the country. In Haryana it is called paani ke patashe, in Madhya Pradesh fulki in Uttar Pradesh golgappa, in West Bengal, Bangladesh and Nepal, phuchka, in parts of Gujarat, pakodi, and in parts of Odisha, Bihar, South Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh it is called gup chup. Fuchka differs from panipuri in terms of content and taste. It uses a mixture of boiled gram and mashed potatoes as the filling, and is tangy rather than sweetish while the water is sour and spicy.
Telebhaja
One of the most loved and demanding road side snacks in Kolkata and entire West Bengal is Telebhaja. It has a lot of variations like Alu Chop, Beguni, Fuluri, Pneyaji, Mocha Chop, Egg Devil, Vegetable Chop and a many more. Different telebhajas got different popularity based on various regions of the state. It will definitely catch your eyes and attract your mind while walking down the streets. Telebhajas are all deep-fried and should eat hot. Getting this awesome snack in Kolkata is too easy. Just keep your eyes open! While visiting Kolkata, you must not ignore this wonderful street food. I bet whenever you come to Kolkata you would definitely want to try this for one more time.
Jhaalmuri
Jhaalmuri is one of the best and famous street food of Kolkata and entire Bengal. It is also known as time-pass in some parts of the state like Bankura and Birbhum. Today its awesome test has flown even to the USA! Yes, Kolkata’s own Jhaalmuru has now become international. But what makes it so special? Any costly ingredient? Any special recipe? Well, there is none! It is just a balanced mixture of Muri (murmure or sand-friend rice), onion, bhujia, a small quantity of raw mustard oil, boiled potato, nut and some masalas. If you haven’t tried it yet, I would strongly recommend you to do so while visiting Kolkata. Jhaalmuri is available in road-side small shops, local trains, bus and even at your door-step! Come and enjoy this extra ordinary mixture of taste and culture of Kolkata!
Aloo Kabli / Aloo Chat
Kolkata is famous for its mixed culture and Aloo Kabli fits to it too well. This street food is again one of the most loved snack for you to try while walking down the street of of the city. It is a combination of boiled potato, boiled gram, raw tomato, raw dhania ki patti and raw onion mixed with imli water. Trust me, the taste will make you feel charged up! It is a very common item found with all Fuchka sellers. The same becomes churmur when a bit of broken fuchkas are added to it! Continental, Chinese, French dishes you have tried a lot but probably you haven’t tried this yet. And if you really haven’t you must.
Misti Doi
Enough khatta we have now! Let’s get back to some sweet. When talking about sweets in Kolkata Misti Doi (Dahi) is a must-mention item. You will certainly not get it anywhere in India. Yogurt – yes, Misti Doi – NO! Once the legendary Indian Cricketer said “Long live Kolkata’s Dahi“. Guess who! Its none other than Sunil Gavaskar!! Yes, satisfaction guaranteed. I won’t get more into it rather will let you try first. You can find it in any sweet shop of Kolkata. I will wait for your feedback 🙂
Kolkata Biriyani
Unlike Biriyanis of other states in India, Kolkata Biriyani has set a real standard for itself. We have modified it in a Bengali way and now a days it is among the top Biriyanis in India. And surprisingly this awesome food has now become one of the most popular street foods of the city. If you walk for say 30 mins, you will see at least 3-4 road-side Biriyani shops with large Handis covered with red cotton cloth. In hotels you get Biriyani at around 250+ while street Biriyanis are available between 90 (Chicken) and 150 (Mutton). I know you tried a lot of Biriyanis already, but try Kolkata’s street Biriyani once. I bet you won’t regret!!