Foods and Food Habits of Rajbanshi Community of Indo-Bangladesh Border Area in Cooch Behar: A Brief Historical Analysis

Rajbanshi is the only majority indigenous community in Cooch Behar and Northern part of West Bengal popularly known as ‘North Bengal’. The Northern Part of Bengal is bounded by the Indo- Bangladesh border line. Most of the people of this study area belong to the Rajbanshi community including Naisya shekh. Generally it is believed that the people of the Rajbanshi community belong from a mixed Mongoloid and Dravidian community. They have their own society and culture which is different from other communities. With the use of multitudinous wild plants they prepared their foods and traditional delicious food items which are Chhyaka, Pelka, Sidal, Shukta, Shukati, Foktani, Panta Bhat, Horpa etc. These traditional and delicious food items are biologically beneficial for the human body. But nowadays, it has been found that under the affect of modernity and globalization process, the own and basic culture of the Rajbanshi community of Cooch Behar is losing its identity and moving towards changes. In this paper I have highlighted some basic major foods, traditional foods, the process of preparation of the food items and their biological significance.