It’s good! It's pretty much just Indian food, with a few add-ons. I think that most Bangladeshis would disagree fiercely with that statement, but I call 'em like I see 'em.
In fact, a lot of Indian favorites can be found pretty commonly here. I have limited experience in this culinary arena, so these are going to be like the Idiot’s Guide… except a lot shorter. In no way do I claim to have made a complete exploration of Dhaka’s foodie scene, but I think you’ll get the gist of it.
LASSIE
Lassie, which is actually a good example of the Indian favorites sold in Bangladesh, is a great drink on a hot day. However, after traveling extensively through India, I think I like Bangladesh's take on this drink better than India's. It’s sort of like a milkshake, but its sweetness is tempered by a certain saltiness. It’s a bit hard to describe the subtleties of this beverage, but if you get it on a hot day, you won’t regret it.
My only advice is if you are given the choice between ‘salty’ and ‘sweet’, you should definitely get the ‘sweet’. Salty flavors can be pretty intense in Bangladesh.
It should cost about 50 BDT (0.64 USD) if you buy it on the street. If it’s a restaurant it can be as high as 200 BDT (2.57 USD).
FUCHKA
Fuchka is another good snack you can find on the streets. You are given a plate of crumbly, breaded shells that are stuffed with some sort of earthy paste, somewhere between hummus and mashed potatoes. It's really good!
In the middle there is a little bowl of spicy sauce, kind of like salsa.
You take a spoon, push down the paste, fill in the extra space with the sauce, and pop it in your mouth whole. It’s really good.
You buy it on the street and it should cost about 50 BDT (0.64 USD).
KEBAB / CHAAP
Kebab, a.k.a. Chaap are pretty common in the West. The difference between the 2 still eludes me, but they are both good.
You can usually choose between chicken or beef. Personally, I prefer to get them “Sheik”, which means on a stick, usually boneless.
These are not usually served on the street, so in a restaurant you’re looking at 150 BDT (1.92 USD), although it can be higher if the restaurant is nicer.
TEA
Tea (or “Cha” in Bangla) is a pretty obvious one. Bangladeshis love their tea, but it’s not like any tea I had ever tasted. Similar to the Chai served in India, it’s thick, sweet, and milky. For you Starbucks people out there, it’s somewhere in between a coffee with milk, and the chai latte.
You can find tea stands all over Dhaka. They will pour the tea out hot for you in the shade of their little hole-in-the-wall kitchens on the street. It might not look like the most hygienic set-up, but don't worry. Tea rarely causes any intestinal issues for anybody, so long as they are okay with dairy products.
It should cost 6 BDT (0.08 USD) on the street.
SAMOSA / SINGARA
Samosas and Singaras (pronounced “Shingara”) are only slightly different from one another.
Samosas are supposedly common in the West also, but I had never heard of them. Singaras are not.
They are both basically crumbly, breaded dumplings, made into different shapes. They are usually filled with either chicken or vegetables. They are okay, but one of them gave me the runs really bad one time, so I don’t eat them anymore. But you shouldn't let my bad experience deter you. The rest of Dhaka loves them. You can buy as many as you want on the street for cheap, and they'll even give them to you in a bag so you can eat them on the go.
It should be 5 BDT (0.06 USD) for 1 of either of them.
CHICKEN with RICE + DAL
What I ate every night was a bit less flashy. Through the organization I was working with, I was given lunch and dinner everyday, and it was always the same: white rice, 2 pieces of chicken, 1 piece of potato, and some vegetable-based extras on the side. And, of course, enough dal to hold the rice together when I dug my fingers into it. In Bangladesh it's normal to eat with your fingers instead of with silverware.
This food got old after a while, but it did its job: filling me up. I don't have a great price point for this one because the quality and ingredients involved in this dish can vary wildly. Don't worry too much about the price though—it's Bangladesh.
Warning:
In Bangladesh, for almost every dish, you eat with your hands. That’s just the way it is, and I have 1 big piece of advice for you here.
Are you ready for it?
In Bangladesh, the food is very spicy. If you have finished eating, and you haven’t washed your hands yet, for the love of GOD, don’t do what I did and scratch your balls. Ladies, same goes for your parts.
But if this advice slips your mind, pouring cold milk on the, um, affected areas helps a lot. Take a note of that, and thank me later.
