invented in 1765AD in Dhaka, became very much a part of Kolkata when, in 1782, its inventor, Mr. Nabin Chandra Das, shifted his base to the present capital of West Bengal. In 1852, Mr. Bishnu Charan Guin invented a sweet and named it after the wife of the then Governor General of British India, Lord Canning. With the passage of time, the Lady Canning came to be known as Ladicanne, and continues as one of the most popular sweets in Bengal. Other sweets include Doi (origin: Molla-Chowk near Konnagar), Monohara (Janai, on the Howrah-Burdwan Chord line), Nikhudi Ladoo (Dhaka), Lengcha (Shaktigarh), Sitabhog (Bardhaman), Rosmalai (Commila), Pantua (Ranaghat), Chomchom (Kolkata), Jora Mundi (Krishnanagar), Chana Bora (Midnapore), Sandesh (Dhaka, Kolkata), Patishapta (Faridpur), Shar Bhaja (Murshidabad), Rabri, Kheer Kadamba, Chanar Jilipi, Darbesh, Golap Papri, Suji Halua, Payesh, Malpoa, Pithe, and innumerable variations of Rossogolla and other popular sweets (Kamalabhog, Rajbhog, Kalojam, and so on). At the end of all the food and the sweets, Pan is an important ending of a Bengali feast. Chewed as a palate cleanser and a breath freshener, Pan, or the pungent leaf of the betel vine, is usually wrapped around a combination of Chun, Khair, Supuri, Mitha Masala, Chaman Bahar, Elaichi, Gulkand, Chutney and other edible seeds.
Eating out, if you must .. Traditional Bengali cuisine is best enjoyed at home, and to my knowledge, there are no restaurants in Kolkata specializing in Bengali vegetarian cooking. Yet, some of the good destination for Bengali food could be the Taj Bengal at Belvedere Road; Aheli inside the Peerless Inn; Bhojohari Manna at Gariahat Road; Kasturi at Marquis Street; Oh! Calcutta at Forum-Elgin Road; ITC Sonar Bangla at Haladane Road; and the Hyatt Regency, where you can try Ilish, Bhetki, Chitol, Tangra, Pabda, Parse, Kankra (Crabs), Chingri, and Rui Mach Doi Diye. There are a number of small eateries like Aileen, famous for its Prawn Cutlet; and Anadi for Muglai Porota. Some of the nice vegetarian restaurants include Rajasthani food delicacy at Teej and Gangaur in Park Street, Haveli at Salt Lake, Haldirams in Rabindra Saranani, the ISKON sponsored Gokul, Gupta Brothers, and South Indian foods at Raj, or Chennai Kitchen. Also, in Esplanade, you find lots of chat shops. Bengali food is best matched with Saada Bhat (plain white rice). A typical Bengali meal will contain Bhat with Moong Dal, Allo or Begun Bhaja, one Tarkari (vegetable preparation), one Maach or Chingri (fish or prawn) preparation, Chutney, Papads, Misti (Bengali Sweets as dessert), and in the end, a Pan. If you need to avoid rice, then Loochi (a flour preparation), Paratha, or Rotis and Nunns are also available.
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