OUR STORY:
Is rice just a staple food for the Bengalis? Well, of course not! What does rice mean for us, then? At Bongo Bhog we understand rice is much more than food for the Bengalis. Rice is an emotion for us. As the great poet, Rabindranath Tagore once mentioned - “Over the green and yellow rice-fields sweep the shadows of the autumn clouds followed by the swift-chasing sun. The bees forget to sip their honey; drunken with light they foolishly hover and hum.”
Have you ever noticed that rice is associated with us from birth to death? When a baby is a few months old he is first introduced to food through the rice ceremony. As an after-marriage ceremony, a newlywed daughter leaves her parents’ home throwing a few handfuls of rice away to bid her final goodbye as she starts a new life. After death, rice is used in a ritual to pay respect to the departed soul. Rice is connected to us through age-old rituals and traditions. We just don’t consume it as food.
Apart from nourishing our body, rice has a deep connection to our mind. Its subtle emotional hook is somewhere hidden in our psyche. While growing up we understand that rice is a sentiment for us, the Bengalis. All our occasions, festivals, and celebrations somehow revolve around our favorite crop. There are well, so many recollections in our minds that are linked to this white crop.
Rice brings to us our childhood memories. Your mother serving steaming rice on the plate with care, urging you to hurry up for the school bus could be arriving anytime soon. And then she gently makes the balls of rice mixed with dal or fish curry and puts it into your mouth. The simmering white rice, the fresh smell of it along with the gentle touch of your mother. Can you remember?
Bengalis are emotional beings. We are not just “foodies” but we have an emotional connection with our food. For us, each of our food has a story of its own. That is why when we leave our home and settle at a faraway place from our dear State we definitely long for the Bengal rice. To us, rice is love. It is that which binds us to our root. This is why our company started. Bongo Bhog commenced with the mission to bring the flavorful Bengal rice to you even if you are far away from your home. If you are living outside Bengal, we understand how you miss the typical aroma of the rice procured in your native land. You never get the full taste of Fish Curry or the Mutton Kosha until you can mix it with your beloved Bengal rice.