Beyond Mihidana & Sitabhog: Bardhaman’s Hidden Food Stories | Tiyasa Koner
Beyond Mihidana & Sitabhog: Bardhaman’s Hidden Food Stories Image Source: The Chronicle Khana Introduction Just before dawn in the calm Bardhaman by lane, Bulu-da, an elderly vendor, lights his kerosene stovetop as the aroma of roasted rice from his freshly-prepared 'Chit-ruti', a rare, crunchy puffed snack that has been a staple in his family for centuries, fills the air. Locals slowly arrive with both their eyes barely open and their hands frozen waiting for their hot paper cone. By sunrise, all of the Chit-ruti will be gone, and most tourists will not know it existed until all the Chit-ruti has been sold out. This is what makes Bardhaman's food scene unique; only about 70% of tourists buy sitabhog or mihidana, while over half of Bardhaman's best-kept sec...