In Bengali culture, like many other cultures in Asia, “eating rice” is synonymous with “having a meal”. The Sanskrit word “anna” and the ol...
In Bengali culture, like many other cultures in Asia, “eating rice” is synonymous with “having a meal”. The Sanskrit word “anna” and the old Bengali word “odan” mean both “rice” and “meal”. A standard Bengali expression – “Have you eaten rice?” – is a polite way to inquire, “Have you had your lunch or dinner?” This everyday language points to the overwhelming significance of rice in Bengali culture. All rites of passage in Bengali culture – from birth to death – are marked with raw rice, milled rice and cooked rice. Every traditional ceremonial feast has servings of aromatic rice delicacies such as polao (sweet pilaff) and payes (rice pudding).
Bengali nursery rhymes perpetuate memories of traditional rice varieties known for their special qualities. An old rhyme that I remember from my childhood goes:
Kalam-kathir patla chire, Hamai dhaner khoi,
Chini-atop chaler payes, khabe eso soi.
Beaten rice of Kalam kathi, puffed rice of Hamai,
rice pudding of Chini-atop – are ready for your meal, my friend.
Another old nursery rhyme describes the tale of Shib, a marine trader who is treated by his parents-in-law to the beaten rice (chireh) of Sali, the puffed rice (khoi) of the Binni variety, the Sabri variety of banana and a once famous yogurt from Kagmari. These sweet nursery rhymes...
