Roopa Gulati

Chef, food writer and broadcaster

Bengali cooking hasn't yet become mainstream in Britain, which is why these recipes are like gold dust to me. Signature dishes, such as the mustard-coated fish steamed in banana leaves, coconutty malai prawns, and sweet-sour tomato chutney are true to tradition, providing a taste of ‘back home’ for people like my father who is originally from Calcutta. The authors also pay tribute to the Armenian, Jewish, Chinese, Tibetan and European communities, with a narrative style that is as compelling as the historical recipes, My copy of the book, now falling apart, has provided a solid foundation for me to explore the region's rich culinary heritage.