Bangladesh laments 'vegetarian' Modi’s inability to savour its culinary delights

DHAKA: Television channels n Dhaka covering the maiden visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi never fail to mention -with just a hint of pain -that he would be hav ng a vegetarian (“niram sh“) banquet.

And so he did. Modi would be hard pressed to say whether the state banquet for him on Saturday night was in Delhi or Dhaka. There was no sign of the rich culinary tradition of this country on the menu. The meal began with a Gujarati khaman dhokla, go ng on to a tomato soup, paneer butter masala, vegetable shammi kebab, potol dolma, bagara baingan, accompanied by vegetable biryani and khichdi, finishing with rosogolla and mishti doi.

This is a land where fish is a vegetable and no meal is complete without lobsters, “ilish“ (hilsa) and mutton or chicken. It's no wonder therefore that Bangladeshis would consider their hospitality for Modi incomplete. It's peak `ilish' as well as bumper mango season. While Modi might enjoy the langras and himsagar mangoes, the `ilish', which Bengalis swear elevates them to a higher state of be ing, will remain out of reach.

Sonargaon, where Modi is staying, boasts about their lobster thermidor, and the aroma of cooked lobsters assails you when you walk into this fancy hotel. The Grand in Kolkata boasts about their smoked hilsa -the story is delicious not only when you sample these culinary delights but remember that fans of the football club Mohun Bagan favour the lobster, while those of East Bengal dig the `ilish'. Old Calcuttans will remember the singular delights of a lobster thermidor at Skyroom and Blue Fox on Park Street (before these amazing restaurants closed down).

But Dhaka's taste-buds are also changing, albeit with Bangladeshi characteristics.Pizzas and burgers jostle for space with Haji Saheb's kebabs and biryani. And no one has yet been able to dislodge the famous “suta“ (jute thread) kebabs, where the kebabs are literally strung on a thread and cooked.

Chinese restaurants here serve Bengali style -the noodlesrice in a mound in the centre, ringed by prawns, chicken and meat dishes all around in small bowls. Quite unique actually , and oh, so Bengali.