Food Hunting on a day trip in Gopalganj

I missed the stoppage for the second time because I was sleeping! This happened on our way to Gopalganj, where I was travelling for the first time. Our stoppage was at the Bhatiapara bus stand, but when we opened our eyes, it took us almost 10 minutes to realize we had left our destination quite a while ago. We immediately realized how badly the unwontedness of getting up at 5 in the morning affected us! 

Undeterred by our unexpected detour, we disembarked at an unfamiliar spot. With the help of Google Maps and the friendly locals, we learned that our destination lay in the opposite direction, a 25-30 minute journey back the way we had come. Undoubtedly, it was an unexpected turn of events, and today, I, Sumia Zahid, a teacher by profession and traveller by passion, will tell you how a mismanaged trip turned out to be an unforgettable experience. This is my story about a day-long trip to Gopalganj.    

How did it get started?

Earlier that day, my husband and I started our journey at 7 am from Gulistan, Dhaka. AC and non-AC bus tickets of Tungipara Express are available from Gulistan or Dholaipar. By bus, you will reach Gopalganj within 3 hours.

We organized this day trip to try some of Gopalganj's famous food items. One of our senior brothers from Gopalganj hosted us. Let's find out what kind of food you can try on a day trip to Gopalganj-

The sweetness of Gopalganj is hundreds of years old

Gopalganj is most famous for its sweets in terms of food. Chana Sweets, Sondesh, Roshmolai, Roshogolla, Doi (Curd), Jilipi - none less than the other. We started our food hunt with the sweets. 

The sweet shops here look the same. A small shop at the entrance has sweets decorated beautifully on one side and a cash box on the other. People can sit inside and have sweets on a plate. The price list of the sweets is hanging on the wall. No extra pomp; this is the big difference with Dhaka's sweet shops. Dhaka's sweet shops, whatever their tastes are, are unbeaten in terms of decoration and price. But these small town sweet shops built along the banks of the river carry a hundred years of tradition, from outside you will not believe it. But the taste is top-notch!

Prabhat Mishtanno Bhandar

On the banks of the Madhumati river, I found this hundred-year-old sweet shop - Prabhat Mishtanno Bhandar. Talking to the locals, it was revealed that this lovely shop had disappeared into the river several years ago. Later, they redecorated the shop.

The most famous item of this shop is their small roshogolla. White roshogolla is smaller than usual in size and full of flavour. You are bound to eat 10-15 sweets in one sitting! The sweet shop is located in the Bhatiapara Bazar area.

From weddings to extensive programs in the area, sweets are taken from this shop. This shop stands tall with so many stories to tell for the last 100 years. 

Bhai Bhai Mishtanno Bhandar

This sweet shop has been in business for seven years and has gained fame for its jaggery sondesh. We took two sondesh and one plate of curd. The Sondesh deserves praise, but I found the curd flavour quite interesting. When you put it in your mouth for the first time, it will seem like it is also made of chana! It has a unique taste, a mix of light sour and light sweet. If you come here, you will have Sondesh, but the curd is also a must-try item.

Kashiani Mishty Ghar

Rasmalai is my favourite sweet among all kinds of sweets. I got one of the best versions of the Roshmolai at Kashiani Mishty Ghar, located on Thana Road of Kashiani Upazila.

This shop is famous for its Rajbhog and Chomchom. We're talking to the shop manager, who claimed that their Chomchom is one of a kind and nowhere to be found in Bangladesh. He added that they have been making this sweet for the past 22 years and love experimenting with sweets. But never compromise on quality. But I found their Roshmolai different from others because of the density of milk and the taste. 

Hotel Milon

Then, it was time to have lunch. We planned to take the bus after having lunch. So we were looking for good eateries around the Bhatiapara bus stand, and we found them. We went to Milon Mama’s hotel. The exciting thing about this hotel is that fish is brought from the Madhumati River and cooked here.

Many people come to this hotel to eat fresh fish from the river with hot rice as their lunch. Entering the hotel, we saw beef, duck, mutton, hilsa, prawns, rice, and various types of food arranged.

It doubled our hunger. Without delay, we sat down to eat fish short, Boal fish curry, duck meat, and pulses. The fish was beautiful to eat. But I wouldn't say I liked the duck curry that much. It was very spicy.

Sumia Zahid is a lecturer at the Department of Media Studies and Journalism at the United International University.

sumialira@gmail.com