AS soon as the clock strikes 12pm, an army of workers descend upon the footpaths and roads in front of Chawk Bazaar Shahi Mosque. In less than thirty minutes, hundreds of makeshift shops are set up. The cries of hawkers peddling ornaments, towels, lemons and many other things begin to be replaced by exotic, mouth-watering smells. Fragrances that tempt the resolve of the strongest of men waft through the air. This is Chawk bazaar during Ramazan.

Chawk bazaar’s storied century-old history is well documented. More prominent is the area’s love affair with unique iftar items. Nothing but the food matters here. And their taste is a reflection of that very sentiment.

Habibur Rahman, an enthusiast, in his book Dhaka Panchas Baras Pahle, first brought to fore the idea of special items available only in Chawk bazaar. Back then, in the late 1800s, this was the only place that had such an iftar hub. The rich and poor would all throng the place, much like today, to find the best iftar items in the country.

Rahman’s information-rich book also helped prove that, contrary to popular belief, Chawk bazaar’s history went a lot further back than only 100 years. More importantly, it showed that even in those days, Chawk bazaar’s iftar meant special delicacies. Golapi ukhra was one such thing that was never seen anywhere apart from during Ramazan.

Lucknow’s famous Alaudin Halwai also set up shop there, attracted by the large number of crowds. Nimokpara samosa and Lucknow sheermal, a saffron-flavoured traditional flatbread made in Iran and India were only available in this shop.

Soon, Chawk bazaar, along with Dhaka, had changed. But the area still retained its affinity with iftar, a tradition that continues till this very day. Today, when it comes to unique iftar items, Chawk bazaar still remains the best place to find them. Among them, is the Boro Baaper Polay Khai, a delicious concoction made with chickpeas, minced meat, fried potatoes, piyaju, beguni, chira, chicken, eggs and many different kinds of spices and ghee.

In the market, many of the sellers claim to have originally come up with the recipe. While its creator may not be easy to find, the etymology of the name is well known. The name came from the fact that only well-off people could afford such a decadent mix of chicken and beef.

If Boro Baaper Polay Khai is not hint enough, shahi jilapi, weighing almost one kg and another unique delicacy, certainly help clarify an unspoken truth about this iftar bazaar: Where New Dhaka touts slimmer, crunchier jilapi as the best, Chawk bazaar still hawks these gigantic jilapi which attracts people in droves, each bite full of juicy sweetness. While jilapi can draw its origin from as early as the 15th century, some say these shahi jilapi are a more modern addition. Imtiaz Aman Joy, a regular shopper here, explained that the jilapi came from the Dhaka Nawab family. “They would eat it during family occasions and that’s where the idea came from,” he said.

Leaving behind the fried sweetness, one can find a lot more. Shuti kebab, a kebab made of tenderly grilled minced meat, has always been a fixture of the iftar market here. But every year, their size seems to get bigger. Whispers abound of a legendary five-feet-long shuti kebab. Salim, whose shop became one of the sources of this myth, however dispelled such rumours. “We have made them tall indeed, maybe two to three feet,” he said, downplaying the significance of kebabs even that tall. “This is another Mughal tradition. They would use almost 20 kgs of meat to prepare such kebabs. Imagine how much that would cost now,” he said.

The shop owners at the bazaar take real pride in their own work. For each, their product is the best and that is why they were here in Chawk bazaar; Syed Rahman, a shop owner, offers another rationale behind this pride. “For many of us, this business is a family tradition. My grandfather was a cook here and he passed it down to me. I will pass it on to my children and thus our family’s name will continue,” he said.—The Daily Star

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2017