Food and Drink Guide to Bangladesh: What to Eat and Drink

Why Bangladeshi food deserves your attention

Bangladeshi cuisine is rice, fish, and mustard oil at its heart, layered with fragrant spice and a serious sweet tooth. Meals are generous, communal, and often eaten with the right hand. Whether you are in Dhaka, Chittagong, or Sylhet, the food is fresh, bold, and very affordable.

Signature dishes to try

• Bhuna khichuri — rice and lentils cooked together, beloved during monsoon and often served with beef or egg.
• Ilish (hilsa) fish — the national fish, classically steamed in mustard as shorshe ilish.
• Beef tehari — Old Dhaka's smoky, peppery rice-and-beef one-pot, sold from buzzing eateries like Haji Biryani and Nanna Biryani.
• Kacchi biryani — marinated mutton and rice slow-cooked together, the star of weddings.
• Shutki — pungent dried fish curry, a Chittagong and Sylhet favorite.

Street food worth seeking out

• Fuchka and chotpoti — crisp shells and spiced chickpeas; the ultimate Dhaka snack.
• Jhalmuri — puffed rice tossed with mustard oil, chilies, and onion.
• Singara and shingara — fried pastry with spiced potato.
• Pitha — winter rice cakes, steamed or fried, often filled with date-palm jaggery.

What to drink

• Cha (tea) — milky, sweet, and everywhere; try Sylhet's seven-layer tea.
• Borhani — a spiced, salty yogurt drink that cuts rich biryani.
• Lassi and lebur shorbot — sweet yogurt and fresh lime drinks for the heat.
• Daab — fresh green coconut water sold on the street.

Note that Bangladesh is largely a dry country; alcohol is restricted and rarely served outside licensed hotels.

Dining tips and etiquette

• Eat with your right hand; this is normal and expected at local spots.
• Street meals often cost under 100 taka; carry small cash.
• Stick to busy stalls with high turnover and drink bottled or boiled water.
• Spice levels are high; ask for jhal kom (less spicy) if needed.
• Saying no to seconds takes effort; hosts are warmly insistent.

Stay connected in Bangladesh

A HelloSIM eSIM keeps you online for maps, translation, and restaurant bookings as you eat your way across the country, with no roaming surprises.