The local delicacies of Puran Dhaka can still string a chord in your heart and can make anyone salivate at the mere mention of it.
Puran Dhaka continues to carry the food legacy forward by ornamenting every alley with food eateries where the smell of warm Bakorkhani caresses your heart with the aroma of Biryani swarming through your nose.
In all this hustle and bustle, all I think of is: What marked the beginning of this endless food legacy?
Early influences
Puran Dhaka delicacies have evolved from a blend of various cuisines to form a unique culinary tradition.
During the Mughal period in Bangal (16th to 18th centuries), Puran Dhaka (Old Dhaka) thrived as a bustling hub of trade and culture.
Mughal emperors and their nobility exerted a profound influence, which is italicized in their Biryani, varieties of Kebabs and sweetmeats, introducing Persian and Central Asian culinary techniques and ingredients to the region.
This cultural fusion intertwined with local Bangali culinary traditions, which emphasized rice, fish, lentils, and a rich array of spices such as mustard oil and coconut.
The resulting blend shaped Puran Dhaka's distinctive cuisine, exemplified by iconic dishes like biryani, kebabs, and flavourful gravies that continue to define its culinary identity today.
According to locals, the cuisine of Puran Dhaka blends Sultani, Mughal, Portuguese, British, French, Dutch, Greek, and Armenian culinary traditions, enriched by the unique cooking styles of the city's chefs and women.
Fan favourites
Well, if you enter the lanes of Puran Dhaka, it will not only fulfill your street-food cravings but also feed you an entire meal.
Haji Biryani’s famous biryani is renowned for its splendid colour and tantalizing aroma and has been serving for around 85 years now.
Some say its taste comes from the secret ingredients they use while some say it's the chef’s magic (but I say it is the charm of Puran Dhaka).
Other biryani houses like Nanna Miar Biryani, Hanif Biryani and Junu Polao Ghor have become common household names now.
Being sold at T 6-10 per piece, Bakhorkhani served with sweetmeat and hot curry is famous among students for its distinctive taste and texture.
Puran Dhaka boasts a rich heritage of Middle Eastern cuisine, with Bismillah Kabab Ghar on Kazi Alauddin Road, Nazira Bazar, offering top-notch dishes like chicken chap, beef boti kebab, and beef chap.
Other notable kebab spots include Rahmania Kabab in Gandaria, Bot Tolar Kabab at Thatari Bazar, and Mira Mian’s in Lalbagh, renowned for their chicken fry and beef seekh kebabs and flavourful Mughlai.
Puran Dhaka features a bustling alley dedicated to savoury street food like chotpoti, chaat, and haleem offering the perfect blend of spices that rivals any dish served in a five-star restaurant.
Your one-stop solution for thirst is the Beauty lassi which is available around every nook and their lassi is known for its thick and creamy texture and not only does it help you wash all the food down but also makes you crave more.
I bet if you visit Doyal Sweets or Mazher Sweets at least, you would attest that these are havens for any sweet enthusiast as the aroma of piping hot Kalo Jaam would attract you harder than a magnet!
Puran Dhaka's reputation for its rich food culture attracts tourists keen to explore authentic Bangali and Mughlai dishes in their place of origin.
Preservation
The distinctive flavour of biryani in Puran Dhaka remains unparalleled, drawing people to the area specifically for these iconic dishes.
However recently locals have raised their complaints regarding the plummeting quality of the food which is incoherent with the skyrocketing prices of the food.
Moreover, they have expressed their concerns regarding the authentic tastes of the dishes fading away and the original recipes being adulterated. This may be owing to the fact that as food businesses in Puran Dhaka are expanding and modernizing, they are shifting away from traditional cooking methods and ingredients that locals cherish.
It would be disappointing if Puran Dhaka's delicacies were to lose their authentic magic, and we hope that future generations can enjoy the same tastes and emotions that we have experienced.
