Winter on a plate: What comfort tastes like this season

Winter appears in Dhaka just like an unsent text: unexpected. The moment the weather drops just enough for us to nag about it, we start craving for warm foods, romanticising life with a hot cup between our cold hands. 

Waking up and seeing the fog rolling over the country and arriving into our concrete alleyways, our brain automatically starts thinking about food that make us feel warm and cosy. The thought of surviving the humidity is no longer a concern, so planning for street food hopping becomes a regular routine. 

The first thing winter does is how food smells as you walk outside; the smells of wood smoke, and it becomes sweeter when the roadside pitha stores sit next to each other. It became our makeshift town square, where people of all ages gathered around. 

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From the corporate titan in a crisp suit to the teenager in a hoodie, both are waiting for the hot pithas in this chilly weather. Rafiq Mia, a 35-year-old rickshaw puller, expertly parks his rickshaw on the roadside, and waits closely near the chitoi pitha shop and curiously looks at the process of its making. 

“Nothing can match the warmth of the roadside chitoi pitha dipped in extra spicy shorshe bhorta; it just hits like a fireball in this cold weather. It’s the only thing that makes the cold evenings worth it,” he says. I completely agree with it; even if you are not hungry, your brain will be go, “one pitha won’t hurt in this chilly weather.” 

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Labonnya, a Master's student, whose desk is currently buried under term papers and research, is looking for warmth in a ramen bowl. “Ramen is not just a noodle to me; it’s a salty and savoury treat that instantly fulfils my tired soul,” she added, also noting how her glasses fogged up with every bite. 

“When winter finally knocks on the door, the first thing I do is shop for different kinds of ramen for my wintry nights.” It’s a different kind of sentiment, something that echoes through the city and all ages of people, even the ones who count calories before anything. 

Shahriar, a local fitness enthusiast who most probably does push-ups in his sleep, is surprisingly relaxed about the season. “People think winter is only for hibernating, but that’s definitely not for me, because I make soups that feel like heaven in a bowl,” he says, while pouring ginger-tulsi tea from a thermos. 

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“A thick chicken or vegetable soup gives me an internal boost to hit the gym when everyone else is under the blanket,” adds Shahriar. 

On the other hand, there is 39-year-old Rafi, a corporate professional who drives from Jatrabari to 300 feet Nila Market with his friends and family every winter weekend, just to eat duck meat and chaler roti. “Winter without hasher mangsho is impossible for me, because this is the only time I can enjoy it perfectly,” he says. 

Yet, for so many, winter is the season when the family kitchens converts into full-on a pitha-making corner, such as the household of Fatema Begum, a 48-year-old woman, who makes different kinds of pithas for herself and her family. “My kids follow the smell of Nolen Gur that comes from my mother’s house, and its aroma fills all the house,” states Fatema. 

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A lot of people remember these kinds of moments from their childhood with their mother and siblings. 

Throwing a complete curve ball to the routine is Sadman, a 27-year-old graphic designer, who shows the quirky side of winter cravings. “Usually everyone goes for the hot foods, but have any of you tried malai kulfi during shivering cold?” he asks with a mischievous smile. 

“It will freeze your brain, and that feeling of numbness hits different. Plus, it reminds me of my childhood with my cousins when we used to sneak from our parents and have ice cream during the winter season,” he adds. 

Winter in Bangladesh is brief but sweet and memorable to us. What I love most about winter is how tea starts a conversation, coffee blends into late-night thoughts, and hot chocolate brings comfort and self-care. So, when someone asks me what my comfort food for winter is, I could never give them a single answer.

Wrapped in blankets at night while scrolling through photos, it suddenly hits you that winter is not just a season to us. It reminds us to slow down a little, sip something warm and sweet, and spend time with loved ones.