World Refugee Day 2026: How refugees transformed Bengali food (opens original article in a new tab)

Refugees from East Bengal transformed Bengali cuisine through resourceful cooking methods and cultural exchanges after the 1947 Partition, influencing traditional dishes and culinary practices.

• Refugees from East Bengal influenced Bengali cuisine through adaptation and resourcefulness after 1947 Partition
• Culinary practices from refugee communities included zero-waste techniques and sustainable cooking methods
• Bengali food traditions merged with local ingredients and other regional influences like Punjabi and Burmese
• Ethnobotanical knowledge and food preservation methods from refugees shaped modern Bengali cooking