bengali bazaars

Winter in Bangladesh means harvest season for vegetables – and the markets are bursting with the fresh bounty of the fertile lands. As we traveled through the countryside in the North, we passed perfectly neat square fields of squash, spinach, and eggplant.  A meal in the village is pretty much from the earth straight to your plate.  Back in Dhaka, a trip to the muddy, rowdy fish market offered a glimpse into a staple of the Bengali diet. Bangladesh is basically a giant delta where massive rivers from the Himalayas meet the clear blue Indian ocean at the Bay of Bengal.  As a result, all kinds of fish large and small, as well as the famous prawns, are a part of most meals.

in the village, a sea of cauliflower at the wholesale market

eggplant straight from the fields

tidy plots of veggies and rice

spring onions bundled for delivery

and off to market the shallots go

packing up the morning's cabbage

before it is packed, here's how it arrives from the farm

Bogra is famous for its new potatoes

curry 101: ginger, garlic, chilies, shallots

across the street from the wholesale market, you can buy all the veggies you need

get a couple of kilos of rice

from giant piles

or free range eggs

in the city, the fish market is bustling early in the morning as the catch comes in

so many types...

...that I don't even know all their names

get your fish cut expertly on the bonti - a long flatcurved blade mounted on wood

if you can't get to the market, it comes to your door

finally, sweet plantain-like bananas and coconut

I hope you enjoyed this brief journey through the delicious markets of Bangladesh, and I will not soon forget the memories, the aromas and the people.

Click here for part one of photo-journaling through Bangladesh.

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