Food Nostalgia In Kolkata! Taking A Trip Down Some Cherished Culinary Memory Lanes
It had been a year since I last walked the streets of Kolkata — a city that’s home and will always have a special place in my heart, despite the limited time I have spent here. The memories of the city were like cherished secrets, tucked away somewhere in my mind, waiting to come alive once again.
As I strolled through the streets, I couldn’t help but feel a wave of nostalgia wash over me.
For starters, I took a walk in North Kolkata, where the old houses and their faded facade whispered tales of a bygone era. I reminisced about the stories my grandfather used to tell me about the time when he made Kolkata his home. We called one such house, which had an intricate wrought-iron balcony, a grand entrance, and faded green windows, “home”! The streets may have aged, our “home” may have gone, but the city’s charm remains timeless.
Then, of course, there’s the food, an integral part of Kolkata’s culture!
From the time I decided to make this trip to Kolkata, I had been making plans of sampling the amazing, lip-smacking food the city has to offer. My first stopover in the city — even before reaching my house — was at a street vendor’s cart for some phuchka, those crispy hollow spheres of joy filled with spicy and tangy tamarind water and stuffed with mashed potato.
As I took my first bite of the phuchka, it was as if I had stepped into a time machine, whisked away to the carefree days of my childhood. Those were the days when a trip to Kolkata was an unspoken tradition every summer, and the excitement of indulging in these delightful treats was a highlight of the vacations.
I vividly remember visiting this one vendor near our then “home,” waiting for him to hand me a plateful of phuchka. Back then, it was a remarkable deal — 20 phuchkas for just Rs 5 (yes, you readthat right!). But yesterday evening, as I found myself at a stall in the city’s vibrant Gariahat area, I was met with a shock. Times had changed, and so had the prices — now, for Rs 20, I got just 3 phuchkas!!!
Yet, as I relished those phuchkas, I couldn’t help but smile at the thought that some things never change, especially the burst of flavours and the accompanying fun and laughter with loved ones — they are as timeless as ever.
The nostalgia continued to unfold as I sat down for a plate of Kolkata chicken biryani and mutton rezala. The fragrant rice, tender pieces of chicken, and the aroma of spices filled the air. Each bite was a symphony of flavours, a taste that I miss dearly whenever I leave the city.
If I am in Kolkata, how can the sweets be behind! Kolkata’s most famous sweet shops have become legendary institutions, closely guarding their secrets. During the many festivals, these shops are crammed with jostling customers. Some sweets — locally called ‘mishti’ — are prepared as offerings to deities to be consumed with reverence after receiving divine blessing, while others are given as gifts, wolfed down eagerly by young and old alike.
Since I have spent most of my years outside Kolkata, I have often found myself having inauthentic Bengali sweets (something is better than nothing, isn’t it!). So, whenever I am in Kolkata, I satiate my fierce sweet tooth like there’s no tomorrow.
I gorge on my roshogolla, kheer kadam, cham cham, nolen gurer jolbhora sandesh, mishti doi and every other Bengali sweet that I can lay my hands on!
The few years that I spent in Kolkata, breakfast at Flurys was part of my Sunday morning ritual. The iconic landmark was originally founded as an old English tearoom in 1927. Known for its rich, creamy pastries, pudding and cookies, the place is as popular today as it used to be during the colonial era. Their mouth-watering food has kept me hooked over the years. Since I am in Kolkata for a few days, tomorrow morning, I am ready to relive my Sunday morning ritual all over again.
We, Bengalis, also love our lip-smackingly delicious fish dishes, especially the legendary “ilish” or hilsa. As luck would have it, this time I found myself in Kolkata during the peak “ilish” season. The ilish delicacies that I have had so far felt nothing less than a warm hug from my grandmother’s kitchen. Each bite of those dishes seemed like a time machine, whisking me back to childhood lunches, where the “shorshe ilish” — hilsa cooked in a spicy and pungent mustard gravy — was the star of the table. The family’s animated discussions about the perfection were a source of endless amusement. Kolkata during ilish season is a nostalgic feast for me, a reminder that some traditions and flavours will always remain etched in the heart, no matter in which part of the world I am.
So far, this trip has been more than just a culinary journey — it was a rekindling of cherished memories, a reminder that Kolkata’s flavours are a timeless treasure trove.
I have a bucket list that’s overflowing with mouthwatering adventures, which I mean to accomplish before I leave the city this time. The list includes a trip to Nahoum’s in New Market and gorging on their rum balls, savouring hot kati roll in Park Street, sitting with a book for hours at Coffee House and enjoying their “infusion” and chicken sandwich, indulging in kochuri and chhola-r dal, relishing the iconic chicken kabiraji and fish fry at Mitra Cafe…the wish-list is just endless!!! So many flavours to explore yet again, so little time to devour them all!
Up next tomorrow: In Kumartuli Yet Again: Where Artisans Breathe Life Into Maa Durga
