P r i d e , P l ac e an d P i th a Fo r B a n g l a d e s h i s t h e w o r l d o v e r, t h e r i c e - b a s e d dishes called pitha offer a tangible and tactile c o n n e c t i o n t o t h e i r c u l i n a r y h e r i t a ge .
TEXT & PHOTOGRAPHY
Dina Begum
The gastronomic map of Bangladesh is laden with
importance throughout life, in places such as Sylhet, there
many delights. However, few are more treasured than the
is a tradition of distributing chaler ruti pitha or flatbreads
rice-based sweets and savouries collectively called pitha. A
made of rice, along with a coconut and banana halwa
practice that spans hundreds of years, pitha is made with
called Allah rohom shinni, to mark death anniversaries and
unique regional inflections across Bangladesh. While it is
request blessings both in times of grief and good fortune.
impossible to put a number to the varieties of pitha, my guess is that it could stretch into the hundreds. They range
Pitha making is a culinary tradition rooted in rural
from crêpes and fried and steamed cakes, to steamed
Bangladesh. It holds a special place in people’s lives and
dumplings and milk-based puddings.
livelihoods. Bangladesh is an agrarian country with rice at the heart of its production. The consumption of pitha
Woven into the social fabric of Bangladeshi culture,
organically derives from this.
pitha-making facilitates a way for generations to interact, socialise and honour time. The tradition justifies the
Nabanna, which is drawn from the Bangla words naba (or
popular Bengali adage, “baro mashe tero parbon” (or 13
new) and anna (grain or food), is the winter rice harvest,
festivals in 12 months), which not only describes the food
which takes place in late autumn. It heralds a season of
culture of Bangladesh but also the place of food in social
festivals, fairs and general pitha mania. The season typically
interactions and celebrations.
begins in late autumn, lasts throughout the winter months and then gently segues into Boishakh or the Bangladeshi
The best known varieties of pitha are patishapta pitha (sweet,
stuffed
crêpes),
puli
pitha
pastries with a sweet filling), chitoi pitha (savoury rice
While the core ingredient for pitha is rice, wheat flour,
crumpets), bhapa pitha (steamed coconut and jaggery
semolina, lentils and potatoes are also included in doughs
cakes) and handesh or teler pitha (fried cakes made of
and batters. Coconut is used widely in sweet pithas, and
molasses and rice flour). From staples on the everyday
date molasses is the sweetener of choice. Savoury pithas
meal table to snacks to socialise with; and from foods that
include noonta (salty) or jhal (hot) versions, where chillies
are shared during times of grief to elaborate delicacies
and other spices are used along with vegetables in the
proudly presented during wedding festivities, pithas play
dough or batter.
many roles in Bangladeshi society. As testament to their
23
summer in April.
(crescent-shaped
