Kacchi biryani
Old Dhaka
Layered mutton and aged rice, slow-cooked in a sealed pot. It's Old Dhaka's signature dish — central to wedding feasts, and the subject of a long-running local debate over which shop does it best.
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What to eat
Food
Nine dishes worth planning a meal around — where each one comes from, and where it's done best. Mains, street food, and sweets, from Old Dhaka's biryani to a syrup-soaked sweet from a single Tangail village.
Ilish bhapa
Chandpur & Barishal
Hilsa (ilish), Bangladesh's national fish, steamed in mustard paste and green chili. Chandpur and Barishal, both set on major rivers, are widely held to serve the best of it.
Bhuna khichuri
NationwideMonsoon staple
Rice and lentils fried down together with whole spices, often served with beef or egg. It's the dish the country turns to when the rains set in.
Kala bhuna
Chattogram
Beef slow-cooked for hours until the gravy darkens almost to black. Chattogram's signature preparation, and an intensely spiced one.
Chingri malai curry
Khulna & Southern Coast
Prawns cooked in coconut milk, a Bengali classic. It's at its best near where the prawns are caught, along the southern coast around Khulna.
Bhorta thali
NationwideHome cooking
A plate of rice ringed by several mashed sides — eggplant, dried fish, potato, chili. A staple of everyday Bengali home cooking, and often better than anything on a restaurant menu.
Fuchka
NationwideStreet food
Crisp hollow shells filled with spiced potato and chickpea, then dunked in tamarind water. Sold from carts on street corners everywhere, and eaten standing up.
Bogura's mishti doi
BoguraGI product · 2023
A sweet set yogurt, and one of Bangladesh's officially recognized geographical indication products (2023). Credited to Ghetu Ghosh of Bogra district, it's still made by the town's dairies using the same method.
Porabari chomchom
Porabari, Tangail
A dense, caramel-toned sweet soaked in syrup, with roots reaching back to the mid-19th century. Local tradition credits its taste to the water of Porabari itself, and dozens of shops in the area still make it.
These are the dishes worth planning around. For the wider context — street food in Old Dhaka, the sweets specific towns are known for, regional specialties, and how to eat well without getting sick — see our Bangladesh food guide.