‘This is why I love to travel as I get to eat the best foods!’- These are my words whenever I eat the delicious dishes of different regions. I have been travelling for many years now and I get to gather a lot of experiences through it. My entire life has been a journal of different foods and experiencing new things. In November 2021, I was fortunate to have a trip to Chittagong. I visited earlier in this place but never got the chance to roam around the city! This time, I made sure to pay a visit to the city and experience the delicacy of ‘Mezbani Gosht’, the name that I’ve been hearing for so long.
I am not that much fond of beef or mutton but I made up my mind to try the mezbani gosht before landing in Chittagong. I had it for my lunch as it is a portion of heavy food. My aunt who is a resident of Chittagong made this mighty dish called ‘mejjan’. The local people call it ‘mejjan’ as it is their local language. Basically, the whole world now recognizes the name ‘mejjan’.
The word ‘mezban’ means ‘host’ and ‘mezbani’ means ‘hosting or to arrange the feast for the guests.’ It is a traditional regional feast where people are invited to enjoy a meal with white rice and mezbani gosht.
There are many side dishes as well, like- mung daal, vegetable curry and fried liver. The most interesting part of this traditional regional feast is that it is open to all. Anyone can come and enjoy the meal. People are welcome for this ‘mejjan.’ I thoroughly enjoyed the meal. The first bite of the mighty gosht melted in my mouth with lots of flavors and the gravy was just incredible. I ate it with rice and mung dal. The spicy flavor of this mezbani gosht impressed me the most. As it is a feast and also a traditional one, there are some rules of this particular practice. It is hosted mostly in the urban areas of Chittagong and it continues from morning till evening. There is another name for this feast which is known as ‘Zeafat.’
Earlier it was only famous for the Chittagonian generation but now it is widely popular among every region people. Just like the name, the cooking process, the spices used in this dish, the flavors everything is unique of this dish. It is a delicacy of Chittagong. Chittagong is mostly known for its ‘mejjan.’ The delicacy of mejjan amazed me all its way through my last visit to Chittagong. I would never say no to ‘mejjan’ now. It is one of the best traditional regional dishes that I ever had in my life. The delicacy of ‘mejjan’ will continue to reign around every corner of the world! I would suggest you have this dish whenever you visit Chittagong because ‘mejjan’ is waiting for you!
