Staying at Bengali family's house (1)

Home-stay (topic: food)

I had 11 days home stay program with Bengali family.

There was quite a bit of things which surprised me.

My host family is consisted father, mother, and 14 years old daughter. They have 1 driver, and 2 servants. One of the servants is 13 years old girl, and they live with family.

(There are clearly upper class people, so don’t take it as normal Bengali family!)

Food served was Bengali.

At the first day, host mother asked what I wanted to eat. To say exactly, she asked what kind of curry. They eat curry every day, and it is like asking Japanese “what kind of miso soup do you want today?”

Breakfast

Bread with honey, Ruti(kind of bread) with curry, fried egg(actually deep fried egg), e.t.c...

Small snack (around noon)

Fruits, fresh juice, yourgt....

Lunch (at 14)

Rice with variety kinds of curry

Snack (at 19)
Biskets, sandwich, fried stuff, fruits e.t.c.....with sweeeeet milk tea

Dinner (at 21)
Rice with variety kinds of curry



one day



another day

So, how can I not gain weight?

I tried to eat as much as I can, but still was said "you were not a good eater!".

Bengali uses a lot of oil and sugar.
(Their fry is deep fly, for me.)

I ate sandwich and small fried bread for snack though I have fever (I caught a cold), and ended up geting sick by oil.

So I told I couldn't have oil anymore.

Next morning, they prepared porridge for me.(with DEEP FRIED egg)

For lunch, host mother gave me a fish, told to cook by myself as I usually do so that I can eat.

But......how, in this Bengali kitchen?

"Only salt!? No spices? No turmeric? It won't be good. ....and then fry?"

A servant girl who helped cooking asked me, surprised.

"Yes, fry"

She put the fish in PLENTY OF oil, deeeep fried.

Already it was something different from what I had imagined.

"Don't you really need any of spices?"

"OK, add some spices as you tihnk good"

Somehow.....the same dish as the day before was prepared.

It was oily, but tasty.

I learned it wasn't possible to avoid oil, but anyway all dishes were tasty and I servived.

If I wasn't sick, I would have enjoyed more.

Next time, I will prepare my stomach ready for sugar & oil & spices, visit them again :)

This is knife to cut vegetables, meat, fish....

 graining ginger

eat with hand