The Bangladesh Traveller

Eating and Drinking

Posted on 29. Dec, 2009 by Mikey Leung in 2. Practical Information
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An unfortunate aspect of travelling in a poor country is that the notions of hygiene and cleanliness are far more basic here than in neighbouring countries, and even the hardiest of stomachs will eventually encounter an upset at some point during a stay in Bangladesh. Extra rice or bread might be served by hand; in most restaurants food is prepared ahead of time and left to stand for long periods, therefore eating earlier is better than eating later. These bouts of the ‘chitta shittas’ are often the topic of many conversations among resident expatriates and travellers, and you might be surprised at how frequently the topic of bowel movements is discussed, even at dinner tables. This is not meant to scare potential visitors to Bangladesh as there is plenty of good food in the country – you just need to know where to get it. In Dhaka, it is especially easy to get an upmarket meal that costs the same as it does anywhere else around the world with an almost comparable level of quality (never quite the same as home, however). Nevertheless, lowered expectations are helpful in the sense that fewer choices are available and often less healthy, especially when dealing with local food choices outside the main cities.

Oddly, there is an abundance of Chinese restaurants in Bangladesh, which have a decidedly darker (in the sense that they lack light but do not lack security) and more private atmosphere than the common eateries and are more expensive (but never outrageous unless on a very tight budget). These places have wildly varying menus, but the most popular items among locals are the fried rice and chop suey dishes. You will also find various combinations of chicken, beef, vegetables and chilli served in various wet sauces, sometimes spicy. This is rarely ‘authentic’ Chinese food, but they do offer clean, healthy and well-cooked food at reasonable prices. A meal here will usually cost between Tk100 and Tk250 per person, which even if you are on a really tight budget you should be able to afford once every few days. These restaurants also feature cutlery, which might seem like a strange thing to think until you realise that most other meals are taken by hand (see below).

For menu vocabulary, see Appendix 1, Language, page 000.

Tags: Breakfast, Deserts, Eating and Drinking, Etiquette, Fruit, Main Meals, Ramadan, Snacks