The Food Talk celebrating Bangladeshi Food: 50 years of evolution

In Bangladesh, food is synonymous to celebration, and as we reignite our patriotism and celebrate the golden jubilee of our victory, we also take this as an opportunity to reflect on how we have evolved as a country from a culinary aspect.

With this notion, The Food Talk, a classified Facebook group that is abuzz with food enthusiasts, restauranteurs, home cooks and the like, celebrated a food festival titled "Bangladeshi Food: 50 years of evolution" on 18 December, at Precious Pies in Dhaka.

"On the occasion of our 50th year of victory, we organised a food fair to recognise the evolution of food over the decades. Food is not static, it has an origin but is in a constant state of change, and through the various stalls present here today, we are depicting that," said Taskin Rahman, founder of The Food Talk.

Albeit the fair was held on a limited scale, the handful of stalls provided a unique and interesting range of food. The brands present were Basic Kneads, Infused by Saimon, Dhaka Metro, Boma Burger, Sweet Freeze, Kavazo, Picnic, Live Eats, and Precious Pies. Highlighting the evolvement of food, fusion food was the theme.

Domachha, that is popularly known for serving regional delicacies, offered a standout from their usual menu with a Bangladeshi fish pie, made with layers of local fish, white sauce, mashed potato, local cheese, and breadcrumbs – a perfect blend of the East and West. Shingaras from Love Triangle were crowd pleasers that encased fusion food at its best with unusual but delicious flavours such as Naga, chicken cheese, and cheeseburger.

"Fusion food is essentially taking local flavours and combining it with different techniques while keeping the original essence intact," explained Amani Mulk, Owner of Sweet Freeze. This truly reflected in their offerings of gelatos in flavours such as borhani, kashundi pineapple, and milk tea. While at one hand, local tea was being infused to flavour gelatos, on the other, Precious Pies were serving up malai coffee to warm the soul.  

The event covered everything from traditional to modern food so you could grab a burger from Boma Burger or indulge in kebabs from Dhaka Metro. Kavazo added festive vibes to the event with their tempting assemblage of decadent desserts including log cakes and several new items added to the menu. Holesome also offered two assorted dessert boxes with the essence of Christmas.

Basic Kneads launched three new items during the event, but their shahi tukra made with French milk bread drenched in a milky concoction and topped with saffron cream stole the show. Spicy duck kalabhuna coupled with melt-in-your-mouth chitoi pitha from Infused by Saimon was another popular choice among people.      

"At Dumplings of Fury, we offer classic dumplings and also add in fusion elements that are not limited to local flavours but global as well," said Saqueeb Mirza, Cofounder at Picnic, mentioning their array of dumplings that include naga pan-fried, kalabhuna, mushroom paneer, and Philly cheese shrimp.  

Other than the open atmosphere, amazing decor, and great food, what made the event enjoyable was the crowd that constituted of foodies and food lovers all under one roof, giving them a chance to explore new tastes, network with like-minded people, and experience the best of fusion food made locally.

Photo: Pranto Khan/ The Food Talk