The sea. The hills. The port. What else comes to mind while thinking about Chittagong? Oh yeah, Mezban! Mezban is a trademark of Chittagong. It is part of the very tradition of this region. The people of Chittagong take pride in this tradition of theirs. It is sometimes referred to as Mezbani. But the Chittagonian people prefer to call it Mezzan.
The exact origin of Mezban is unknown. Mezban is arranged on various occasions. People usually throw Mezban in the event of someone’s death, Akikah, or when there’s a big achievement. People can even throw Mezban if there’s a piece of happy news like the birth of a child.
Generally, middle-class and higher-class people have the means to arrange a Mezban. It can be organized in the front yard or a community centre. If it takes place in an urban environment, the hosts conduct the function in a community centre.
Traditionally, Mezban takes place at night. But sometimes it is organized at noon. In a Mezban, usually, 500-1000 people are invited and hosted based on how affluent the host family is. This number can go up to two to five thousand and even beyond if the hosting family is affluent.
For example, when the former Mayor of Chittagong City Corporation ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury demised, an estimated 100k people were hosted across 12 community centres. Such numbers are very rare but a couple of thousand people are often hosted by affluent families.
The main attraction of Mezban is the food. It is what separates Mezban from a traditional feast. The items are usually white rice, beef curry, a gourd/radish curry, a curry of mung bean, and sometimes ‘Nihari’. Sometimes fish or chicken items are also served for non-Muslim guests.
The cooking of Mezban items is what makes the food stand out. The chefs or baburchis cook the food very delicately. The spices used for cooking Mezban items are different. They are hand-ground. Even the very fire used to cook the food is unique and is set by the chef himself. The chef has the final say in everything related to the cooking process. The hosts consult him and get him the necessary items. On the day of the function, he cooks with the help of his associates. He starts cooking early in the morning. If the function takes place at night, then the cooking is finished before the afternoon and if the function is at noon, then the cooking is finished before midday. It takes someone a lot of years and hard work to master the cooking of Mezban. All this hard work pays off. Because in the end, his cooking becomes remarkable. No matter how well one cook’s beef meat at home or anywhere, it can never match the beef meat of Mezban!
People usually get free entry in Mezban. The hosts invite people from the whole village and all their relatives and friends to Mezban. People from other villages also join in. The eating area for men and women are arranged separately. Since there are too many people attending, the hosts can’t tend to everyone individually. So each has to find a chair for themselves and eat once the current batch has finished. Batch after batch is served as long as there are guests unfed and food left. Waiters are seen carrying food, running, and shouting throughout the function. It’s a wild west out there.
Many restaurants now offer Mezban foods. But the taste and environment of these restaurants can never match that of an authentic Mezban. The thrill and the excitement of an authentic Mezban are unparalleled. You have to attend one to experience one!
