In Rome, Bangladeshi food is a celebration of appetite

Bangladeshi-rooted businesses are sprouting up more than ever - from authentic produce labels and cafes to a new hotel - along with new Bangladeshi influenced places to eat and drink. Sneha Chakraborty, a London-based multimedia journalist, tells us how.

On a summer afternoon in Rome's busy Termini district, a steady stream of customers filled the tiny establishment of Ristorante Euro Bangla, beelining for the limited offerings of Malai Chop, a traditional dessert that perfectly compliments a piquant meal. While they were drawn by the last course, I was in the new spot to learn how the head chef makes their most recommended Kachchi Biryani.

It began with fine strands of vivid crimson stigmas from crocus sativus (saffron or kesar), which were measured, mixed with lukewarm milk and - using a garlic presser made from carved wood - strained over a pot of steamed long-grain rice. The resulting golden hue was earthy, owning a complex nuanced flavour, and for a second, I was transported from this restaurant perched around the corner from Termini station to Bangladesh.

The Other Side of Italy’s Culinary Capital

Despite being oceans apart, Rome and Bangladesh have long been connected, ever since the early 1980s, when immigrants started coming to Italy in search of a better livelihood. Today, a modern-day reminder of their historic relation appears every October when the streets of this national capital bustle with the celebration of Durga Puja - an annual festivity observed by the country's native population in all corners of the world.

In the last few decades, East Asian rooted businesses are sprouting up more than ever - from authentic produce labels and cafes to a new hotel - along with new Bangladeshi influenced places to eat and drink. According to Francesco Agosti, who runs some of the most popular food tours in Rome, the contrast between the two regional flavours has helped stoke this popularity for all things culinary — gastronomy and beyond. “A lot of us Europeans admire the Bangladeshi community and their cuisines because it’s the polar opposite of the flavours we are used to, ” he said. “It has this spicy Mediterranean touch, Indian spices and curry-based tanginess, and in Italy, we’re all about the subtlety of seasonings.”

You only have to visit the Lazio region, in the Italian region bordering the Tyrrhenian Sea, to see for yourself. The pocket-size area is the gateway to Rome's noteworthy tourist attractions, mostly thanks to the proximity to the Colosseum and Pantheon, surrounded by Ostia's portside market scene. This locale is also trending, mostly thanks to the home-styled establishments which are run by Bangladeshi chefs, offering elegant dining experiences, and chefs like Ahmed Miah, whose great-grandfather was born in Dhaka.

In 2005, Mr Miah opened a Bengali bistro, and now his grandsons run a mini-franchise of cafes and restaurants within blocks of each other. In April 2008, he added a fine-dining place in Florence— which offers Bangladeshi-inflected dishes using native ingredients — and a hip bar that gives an ode to some lesser-known mocktails and cocktails that hail from his home country.

More recent projects from Mr Miah include a community lunch programme for out-of-work immigrants, a local food delivery chain that hires people who lost their jobs during the pandemic and an eatery near Termini that serves Bengali desserts like Roshogolla and Rasmanjuri.

There's even a boutique-style chain of departmental stores in Little Bangladesh. Aptly named Proyojoni Store which loosely translates to 'The Essential's Store' is a hole-in-the-wall shopping place opened in 2009 and is a go-to for rare whole spices and Pitha - rice cakes that can be made into sweet and savoury cuisines.

Just west, not far from central Rome, a slightly hidden community of millennials who came here following family ancestry is well on its way to contribute to this already established culture.

Multiculturalism and Mouthwatering Food

Less than a few blocks away, a popular sea-food joint Banglar Shad offers Mutton Kacchi and grilled meats like Beef Kosha, Chicken roast, and traditional starter snacks that are perfect for munching on when you're on city tours. The West Spices Gallery — which combines Italian with sour, sweet, salty and rich Bengali flavours, and is sold in local households — also came to fruition nearby. The idea for a wholesale spice shop originated in 2014 at the home kitchen of chef Arnab Das, who came to Rome in the late 90s to help his mother with her restaurant. His spices are imported from their origin countries, grounded and mixed in proportions same as home-cooks do in Bangladesh. He believes that authentic ingredients like panch phoron, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek with different oils create easy-to-add spice mixes for those who prepare this food daily and cannot find some of the rare flavours that they may find easily in their home country.

A long-time sou chef at the Ristorante Euro Bangla, Mr Khan, said he is guided by many Bangladeshi, and Eastern Asian principles. He has described how the clay ovens exemplify eathly-cooking, and how he embraces the concept of eating with hands, “when the host takes away the stigma, it makes our customers feel right at home even when they are miles away, ” he said. For the many Bengali restaurants, serving an authentic taste is merely a means to an end; but for a traveller who stumbles upon or makes a detour — these places provide a temporary yet nostalgic gateway to a Roman subculture that some people proudly call home.

Sneha Chakraborty can be followed on Instagram for many more such food and culture stories.

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