Monday, 23 December 2024
Monday, 23 December 2024
Bengal, best known as the land of rosogolla and kosha mangsho, is suffering from a gastronomic onslaught by roadside (Gordon) Ramsays. A region known for its love affair with food is now facing a destructive makeover of various local dishes – for 15 seconds of social media fame.
In this world of “get a vlogger to shoot, somehow”, a dish is measured not in flavour but in shock and awe. They will not win Michelin stars but they’ve won the internet.
Here are some of Bengal’s most outrageous culinary experiments spinning in the virtual world. Statutory warning: You may feel sick.
Mashed grass: Lawn mowing meets lunch
Imagine a plate of comforting, steaming “aloobhate makha” (mashed potatoes) — a Bengali household staple. Now replace the potatoes with grass. Yes, actual grass.
A street vendor from Habra took the internet by storm, serving mashed grass alongside mashed raw vegetables and even something he calls “mashed cold drink”.
While food vloggers juggled between shock and praise, we can’t confirm if these items are safe for human consumption.
Ice cream pakora: An idea whose time should never have come
Picture this: you’re biting into a crispy, hot pakora, expecting a spicy burst of flavour, but instead, your mouth is filled with... melted ice cream. A vendor in Patuli on the outskirts of Kolkata has apparently turned this fever dream into a reality.
He takes a scoop of ice cream, dips it into flour batter and deep-fries it into submission. The result? A dessert that’s hot, cold, crispy and confusing all at once.
“Many people tell us they ate this abroad. Now we are making it,” the proud owner says, bursting with excitement.
He seems to have taken the concept of fried ice cream way too far. The hot and cold snack trend, which apparently had started in Philadelphia, seems to have reached Patuli and become ice cream pakora.
Food vloggers couldn’t decide whether to applaud the creativity or question their life choices. One can only wonder. Why? Just why?
Egg tea: Protein-packed eew
Tea is life in Bengal. It’s the elixir that fuels debates on politics, cricket, whether a golgappa can ever match up to a phuchka, and predicting the next moves of politicians. In the past few years, brewing of tea has become experimental. From chilli tea to chocolate tea, Calcuttans have been accommodative.
But when they thought tea couldn’t get more experimental, someone cracked an egg into it.
Yes, egg tea is a thing. The yolk is whisked into the tea, creating a frothy, protein-packed concoction that looks like chai but tastes like breakfast gone rogue. Fans claim it’s nutritious, but critics argue it’s a crime.
Cold-drink omelette: Fanta meets fried pan. Why?
An omelette is a wholesome dish. Add potatoes and tomatoes and it can pass off as a Spanish omelette. But add a splash of cola, it becomes torture. Yes, cold-drink omelette is real.
A daring Kolkata street chef decided to pour cold drink into his egg mixture before frying it. The result? A sizzling, fizzy, and mind-boggling creation. Some called it “a culinary revelation,” others pressed the SOS button.
Biriyani momo: Con-fusion of cultures
We know Bengal loves its biryani; if you tell a Bengali that any other biryani other than Calcutta biryani is the best, be prepared for a lecture on late-Mughal-era history. Bengalis also love momo as much as they love Darjeeling.
Enter biryani momo, and we are not so confident about the result.
Shared by a food blogger on Instagram, the said dish combines the spicy, aromatic flavours of biryani with the soft, steamed deliciousness of momos.
This unusual pairing sees biryani spices and rice stuffing a dumpling that’s steamed and served piping hot.
While some call it a stroke of culinary genius, others can’t decide if they should chew or cry.
