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Culinary Traditions of Eastern India Tour
A journey through the flavors, stories, and spices of Eastern India
Min days required for tour : 10 days
In this specially designed journey of discovery, one travels through the eastern Indian states of Assam and West Bengal, unravelling the culinary traditions of one of the most exotic and culturally rich regions of India. The tour begins in Guwahati, the gateway to Northeast India, well connected with all major Indian cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bangalore.
Embark on a delightful 10-day Culinary Tour of Assam and West Bengal, a journey that celebrates the rich flavours, aromas, and traditions of India’s eastern frontier. From Kolkata’s colonial-era coffee houses and bustling street food lanes to Assam’s tranquil tea estates and tribal kitchens, this tour offers a sensory exploration of regional cuisine and culture. Discover the artistry behind Bengal’s iconic sweets, the bold spices of Assamese curries, and the earthy simplicity of rural recipes cooked over wood fires.
Participate in hands-on cooking sessions, visit vibrant spice and tea markets, and dine with local families who preserve centuries-old culinary traditions. Along the way, experience the warmth of village life, the charm of heritage towns, and the breathtaking beauty of the Brahmaputra’s riverbanks and Upper Assam’s tea gardens. This journey is not just about food — it is about stories, people, and the soulful connection between land and flavour.
Culinary Tour of Assam and West Bengal
From Guwahati, guests will journey through the smaller towns and villages of Assam, discovering the diverse culinary traditions and unique flavours of Assamese cuisine. Along the way, learn about the nutrition, healing properties, and culinary uses of local spices and ingredients such as ginger, garlic, turmeric, chillies, black pepper, mustard, cumin, fennel, aniseed, caraway, bamboo shoot, and fresh herbs. Visits to villages and farms provide an authentic glimpse into how these ingredients are grown and harvested. Guests will also participate in interactive cooking classes with local experts, learning to prepare traditional Assamese curries and regional delicacies in a hands-on and engaging way.
From the historic town of Dibrugarh in Upper Assam, the journey continues with a short flight to Bagdogra, followed by a scenic drive to the Himalayan hill station of Darjeeling. Established during the British Raj, Darjeeling is home to some of India’s oldest restaurants serving classic Anglo-Indian cuisine. The region is equally renowned for its tea gardens and the globally celebrated Darjeeling Tea.
Special Add-On: Guests will enjoy exclusive visits to tea estates in both Assam and Darjeeling, where they can engage in guided tea-tasting sessions with expert tea sommeliers to understand the subtle differences in aroma, flavour, and texture.
In the final leg of the tour, guests will travel to Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal and one of India’s most dynamic cultural cities. Known as the City of Joy, Kolkata is a paradise for food lovers. Here, guests will be welcomed into the home of an expert Bengali home cook, beginning with a guided visit to a local market to learn about the seasonal vegetables, spices, and ingredients that define Bengali cuisine. The experience continues with a hands-on cooking demonstration and a street food tour, uncovering the fascinating blend of influences — Mughal, British, Chinese, and regional — that have shaped Bengal’s rich and diverse culinary heritage.
Places covered in tour
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GUWAHATI
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KAZIRANGA
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JORHAT
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MAJULI
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DIBRUGARH
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DARJEELING
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KOLKATA
Food is not just a mere source of nutrition, it plays a crucial role in shaping human existence and identity. Food unites people, food also differentiates and identifies communities and cultures. Apart from imparting multi sensorial experiences of taste, touch, smell, sight and sound food tells us stories about a region, its inhabitants, their culture, traditions and history. This culinary journey is beyond Kebabs and Biryanis or the food of the Royals. It is about culinary traditions developed in the kitchens of India by mothers and wives.
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Guwahati
Kolkata
Darjeeling
Culinary traditions of Assam
Assam lies in the Northeastern part of India which shares a boundary with China, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal. It is a river valley surrounded by the Eastern Himalayas. Due to its location, there has been many waves of migration in the past of different races. This has resulted in a diverse ethnic population today having equally diverse and interesting food habits united by the common ingredients found in the region. Assam is immensely fertile as a gift of the river Brahmaputra and an ecological hotspot resulting in the availability of various foods and ingredients, herbs and spices. The staple diet being rice, fish, vegetables and herbs, the people also savour a variety of meats like chicken, duck, pork, pigeon, goat etc. Cooking styles range from steaming, boiling, smoking, barbeque to normal frying and currying.
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culinary traditions of bengal
In Bengal food is next only to worship. Here food is an aesthetic experience, a pursuit of happiness. The most significant aspect of Bengali food is fish - both freshwater and seawater. Different recipes are followed to cook different fishes. The most loved fish Hilsa is savoured with a mustard gravy, medium sized river prawns are cooked with coconut cream and big ones steamed with a mixture of mustard paste and Bengali spices, big fishes are cooked in different types of gravy. Wrapping in Banana leaf with spices and then steaming is a special style of cooking fish. The Bengal cuisine is marked by the use of mustard oil which gives it the signature flavor. Bengali food was also influenced by Mughal style of cooking. Mixing up with the local style of cooking new recipes were invented. The Kolkata dum Biriyani, Kosha Mangsho (mutton gravy), Kathi roll are some of the most popular dishes. Another significant aspect of Bengali food is the sweets. Bengali sweets specially the Rosogulla are immensely popular.
Sandesh
(Bengali Sweet)
Vegetable market
Bengali Thali
Mishti doi
(Sweet Yogurt)
Kolkata dum Biriyani
Rosogolla
(Bengali sweet)
Spices
Kolkata Kathi roll
Fish in Mustard sauce
