Every country has its regional variance of cuisine. The manners of dining and food habits differ as we move from one region to another. In ancient times, some recipes took the form of a dish and were passed down over generations. These traditional foods can be prepared or found at home, in restaurants, by small manufacturers, at neighboring supermarkets, or in some major food processing units. The ingredients too can be easily found in the local community markets. Sylhet is no exception in this regard. After Dhaka and Chittagong, Sylhet is one of the most popular districts in Bangladesh. This region carries with it a rich history, culture, tradition, spiritual and natural beauty. The food here is indeed influenced by ancient culture and traditions.

There are many types of food out there. The Bengali staple- rice and fish, to begin with, that come along with sorts of vegetable or meat curry, sweets, etc. In hotels, restaurants, and cafés western food is consumed on daily basis, yet, they fall behind the local traditional food of the region. Not just in taste but also in terms of emotion traditional food is far better. Sylheti cuisine is known for its exquisite taste. It represents the different types of foods in the Sylhet region and the existence of the traditional food is remarkable itself.

Sylheti food is felicitated all over Bangladesh and also by foreigners. Given below are few of the most common and famous traditional dishes.

Bhorta or Mashed Vegetable/Fish

Households across Sylhet eat ‘Bhorta’ for starter. It is prepared using mashed vegetables (or sometimes fish) and mixed with spices and herbs. The most commonly found Bhortas are made of potatoes, eggplants, beans, pumpkins, and green bananas. Dry fish Bhorta, or Shutki Bhorta, is popular in Sylhet. Egg Bhorta is enjoyed among intrigued foodies. Chicken, duck, and fish egg all make amazing Bhortas when paired with harmonious spices and herbs. 

Hash Bash or Duck in Bamboo

“Duck in Bamboo” or ‘Hash bash’  as goes in Bengali, is a kind of curry made with duck and bamboo shoots found only in the Sylhet region. This is one of the traditional and delicious dishes in Bengali cuisine. This dish is relished with Tandoor bread as well.  Hash Bash curry is less spicy in taste.

Birin Bhat or Soggy Rice

Birin Bhat is a type of sticky/soggy rice consumed in the Sylhet region. The red-white grains of rice have sticky fragrant It is a trendy, comfort food and staple in every Sylheti household. This fragrant rice is typically eaten with fried fish. Dessert made of Birin rice, milk, date jaggery and coconut are popular too. It is a kind of dish that could easily be thrown together for breakfast or teatime because being Bengali meant there was always a never-ending supply of cooked rice at home!

Shutki Shira

Finding people who live in Sylhet but have not eaten Shutki Shira, locally it is referred as ‘Hutki Shira’, will be pretty challenging. This is a fermented fish curry made of vegetables, leafy greens, and fish or prawns. It is a curry without oil or fat. This dish varies on the availability of seasonal vegetables. Hutki is used to make a variety of vegetables and a type of dried vegetable called ‘Shidal’. Traditionally, hidol is used for cooking curry. Some very popular Sylheti dishes are Mukhi hutki, Chingri hutki, Shidol Chutney, and Mishti Kumro with Shidol. All these dishes are earthly, rustic, and outcomes of ‘love’. Sylhetis just don’t eat hutki or Shidol for the sake of eating. One could call it a regional favorite.

Shatkora Beef

Next up is “Shatkora Beef”. The thick fleshy rind of the Citrus macroptera, known as Shatkora, is eaten with beef. It has a unique taste and aroma. To make Shatkora beef, the first oil is heated in a large heavy-bottomed non-stick saucepan. The oil is then reheated with cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom, fenugreek, etc. It is stirred a little more with beef, salt, spices, and raw pepper. Then some pieces of Shatkara are cut into small pieces and tossed into the pan.

This dish is so famous that people come from different parts of Bangladesh to eat “Shatkora beef”. Shatkora is a unique citrus fruit cultivated in Sylhet’s hills besides Jaintapur in Jaflong, Gowainghat. The authentic Shatkora beef can be cooked only by the native Sylhety people. The taste and aroma of this dish are different from all other food.

Rice Flour Bread and Meat Curry

Another common traditional food in Sylhet is ruti or flat bread made of rice flour and it is consume with meat. People here love this combination very much. It is also a festive food in Sylhet especially in the time of Eid al-Adha. This combination goes best with beef, chicken or other kinds of meat. People from Sylhet and other region love this chaler ruti with beef vuna.

Chunga Pitha

Chunga Pitha is a traditional delicacy of Sylhet as well as Assam. Chunga means tube or hole and pitha means cake. It consists of sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves which are cooked in a special type of bamboo which is specific to this region during the winter season. This kind of bamboo grows naturally in the forest of Sylhet. The pitha is cooked on fire by burning straw. The rice is cooked in bamboo and is infused with the aroma of bamboo.

Seven-Colored Tea

Seven-colored or seven-layer tea is a well-known tea invented by Romesh Ram Gour in Sreemongol. He invented the seven-layer tea after discovering that different tea leaves have different densities. Each layer contrasts in color and has a distinct taste, from syrupy sweet to spicy cloves. The result is an alternating dark/light band pattern throughout the drink giving the tea its name. This tea is only available in the Sylhet.

Tusha Shinni or Flour Halwa

Tusha Shinni is another popular traditional dish of Sylhet. This dessert is made primarily on different religious occasions. Tusha Shinni is a kind of halwa made of flour. To make Tusha Shinni, first boil bay leaves, cinnamon, and cardamom in hot water in a pot, add sugar and let it simmer until the content turns to fragrant syrup. However, it is better to thin the sugar syrup. Then add flour and sugar syrup and stir on low flame until Tusha turns bright brown. However, be careful not to burn the mixture. Otherwise, it will not be palatable. After a while, the flour will absorb the sugar syrup. Then reduce the heat and mix raisins, nuts, etc. 

Handesh

‘Handesh’ is a traditional sweet, puffy, deep-fried snack made of molasses, sugar, and flour. It is also known as ‘teler pitha.’ It is often eaten with tea as a snack and served to guests. It is very famous on special occasions such as naming ceremonies and wedding festivities and at the time of the Eid.

Sylhet has a very rich traditional food culture consisting of an amazing blend of spices, rice, fish, and sweets. Sylhet is a popular destination among tourists with unique natural beauties and its local cuisine. Every year thousands of tourists come from other parts of Bangladesh or from abroad to visit Sylhet. They can try these dishes at various restaurants, especially “Pach vai” and “Panshi” which serve the best bhortas in town. But one will not be able to find all the local traditional dishes at the restaurants. To get the taste of these amazing dishes one needs to visit local households to try them firsthand.