Well, the title says it all.
I know, the first reaction from you is: Boy, wedding feast menus sure have changed.
From what I hear, there’s been a radical shift in the choice of food for the main feast on that special day and, from the looks of it, the future appears to be a gastronomic experiment in the case of wedding dinners.
I was talking to a journalist who had recently come back from attending a gala wedding dinner in the port city where the food theme was “Japanese” and hence, sushi.
For the modern day young whose eclectic taste buds would leave most of their parents a little puzzled and, at times, perplexed, the inclusion of sushi was probably a hit.
But what about the senior guests at the wedding, or shall we say, the most important people, without whose presence the wedding never gets that full formal recognition.
After all, dowa korben still remains the standard line and, if the food has been up to the mark, then the benediction comes with a hearty smile and plenty of bon-homie.
Not to mention the post marriage inquest which is a standard at all aunty-dominated gossip sessions. If the aunties are happy then the wedding was a hit, but if they start the epic gossip with “ai hai ora eta ki korlo” then perhaps the sushi fest should have been left for a Japanese night out.
The question is, how did the sushi stunt go down in the city known for mejbanibeef?
“Well, to be honest, the elderly guests were a little puzzled and were unsure as to how this should be eaten,” said my journalist friend.
Nothing wrong with that because one hardly expects a Japanese item at a wedding dinner, but times have changed and we are now in the midst of themed wedding parties.
This transformation, which began with slow additions to the usual menu, dates back to the early 90s.
The naan, cheese, and the fried fish
The standard menu of a wedding feast had always been polao, roast, beef/mutton, shami kabab, borhani, and firni.
In winter, kacchi was served instead of polao.
Then, one winter in 1990, we walked into Sohag Community Centre and found that the bride’s family, from Old Dhaka, wanted to serve traditional Old Dhaka items and, therefore, the chicken roast was garnished with a large slice of cheese.
Interestingly, they also served naan at the beginning with vegetables and meat. This was followed by the whole traditional fare.
A few years later, someone had another brilliant idea -- why not put up a coffee making station at the exit and entrance so people would have a nice caffeine boosted chat after dinner.
Thus the coffee machine became a standard item.
Those who thought it unnecessary soon realized that guests were expecting a hot drink and there was a tendency among the invited to compare what was on offer to what they had experienced somewhere else.
Someone wanted to add another attraction -- fancy paan made by expert maestros. This was not the pre-packed betel leaf supplied rather unceremoniously with the after-dinner dessert -- this was bespoke betel leaf, made (crafted) by engineers looking like characters right out of the Mughal court.
One could choose flavours and spices to make it truly extraordinary: Saffron, cinnamon, dark chocolate, ground date, the list goes on. The names are also fascinating, ranging from Sheherzade’s delight, to dil khosh, to the marhaba all-night.
The last one…yes, you guessed right. After all, it’s a wedding and a touch of glamour/mischief can only add to its appeal.
By the turn of the century, large pieces of fried fish became a common dish and then, to appear more unique, a few well off families began to serve king prawns.
A whole roasted goat is still seen on the table of the groom, garnished with roasted chicken.
Themed dinners
In recent times, families are going for themed dinners though Chinese for wedding feast is not a new tradition. In fact, in the 80s, small scale weddings with 50 to 100 guests were often held at Chinese restaurants where the food was of course not authentic Chinese.
In a quest to be exotic and posh, some people choose five star hotels where immaculately dressed waiters serve the food. You usually do not get the chance to go on a meat consuming overdrive at these places. And no, neither can you shout: Raan change koira buk er piece den.
At the opulent setting of a branded hotel, the atmosphere is often too courteous, stilted, and subdued whereas the whole idea of a wedding in Bangladesh is to have some sort of organized chaos.
Roasts will be flying from one table to the other, the glutton and the gourmet will be locked in a fierce but friendly debate as to where they had the best mutton rezala.
In between all this, the host and a bevy of his/her acolytes will be hovering around the table to see that you are not missing out and will give another blood curdling shout to the waiter: “why is this plate empty?”
In an effort to redeem himself from the cardinal sin of not paying attention to your needs, the waiter will be the flying dutchman and reappear with a filled dish.
In the end, he will bring a ceramic bowl with a towel and a soap so you don’t have to walk all that gruelling twenty paces to the basin. A tip for the waiter is a must but they do make you feel like royalty!
Amidst all these must-have wedding traditions, the sushi seems a little out of place. I am all for gastronomic diversity, but at a wedding feast, one needs the usual exuberance that comes not with exotic items but with the time-tested ones.
Not to forget, it’s always better to keep in mind that at such events, a large number of people are our seniors and they just might not be too thrilled to see something unknown.
Keep the calamari, the hummus, and the smoked salmon for a later date. Nothing works like the traditional gastronomic set up.
Towheed Feroze is a former journalist.
