Odisha's Little-Known Cuisine - A Treasure Trove Of Tastes And Textures

Odisha’s little-known cuisine is a treasure trove of tastes and textures that go well beyond the famous pakhala and chhena poda, discovers ANUBHUTI KRISHNA on a culinary sojourn in Bhubaneswar.

- Anubhuti Krishna

‘MAA GOURI SWEET STALL’ reads the letters painted in pale yellow on one side of the blue board. On the other side, the same thing is written in Odia. A picture of Durga smiles from the edge, three bikes stand neatly underneath. Two steps lead into the shop where some tables are placed by the wall. The food counter is manned by three men from three different generations; each of them are handling a large aluminium pot. One is filled with thin and heavily garnished dahi-bara, second with orange coloured upma, and the third with pale brown rasgullas. Some samosas rest nearby in a large tub. I ask for a rasgulla and a samosa and take the corner table.

I have arrived in Bhubaneswar with a singular agenda: to experience the food of the city. And what better way to start exploring than by eating where the public eats? I know little about the food of Odisha apart from its luscious sweets and hearty street snacks. So, when I got a chance to travel to Bhubaneswar to experience its culinary culture at the city’s newest property, Welcomhotel by ITC Hotels, Bhubaneswar, I could not refuse. The team had also promised to show me the city’s famous food jaunts and teach me how to cook a few classics.