Why is the appeal of hill cuisine on the rise?
From the bustling lanes of Agargaon’s ICT Road to the leafy corners of Dhaka University and Mirpur’s evening markets, hill cuisine is quietly taking root in the capital. Once limited to the hill areas, dishes like mungdi, laksu, and bamboo chicken — along with fresh hill vegetables — are now winning hearts across the plains
In Agargaon's famous "Cake Potti", the streets are lined with food carts of every kind. On both sides of the road in front of the Election Commission building, rows of stalls sell all sorts of street food.
The ICT Road is now known for this daily food fair, stretching from one end to the other. Turning right from there leads to Statistics Road, another lively spot filled with evening food stalls.
At the very beginning of Porishonkhan Road, two food carts stand side by side on the left. One is called Tumbas and the other Fadang Tang. Both serve traditional indigenous dishes.
Tumbas is run by Ripple Chakma and Image Chakma. At Tumbas, visitors can find special mungdi, fried crab, fried hill mushrooms, fried chapila fish, and chicken laksu. The mungdi is priced at 120 taka, while fried crab and mushrooms cost 200 and 100 taka respectively. Both fried chapila fish and chicken laksu are 100 taka each.
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Among these, mungdi and laksu are traditional dishes of the Rakhine people.
Mungdi is a mixture of soup and noodles, made not from regular noodles but from rice noodles, which are sourced from Rangamati and Bandarban. These noodles are cooked in a chicken-flavoured broth, mixed with egg, dried fish, and a range of spices.
Laksu is a type of salad, made by boiling chicken with spices, removing the bones, and then mixing the meat with onions, chillies, and various hill herbs. "Our bestsellers are mungdi and laksu," said Ripple.
"We wanted to make laksu with hill chicken, but we faced two problems. First, hill chicken costs more than broiler chicken, and people would not want to pay that much for street food. Second, many in the plains doubt whether hill chicken is slaughtered in a halal way. So, we buy our chicken locally, from trusted halal sources."
A little further down the road stands the Fadang Tang cart, run by husband-and-wife duo Sonchari Chakma and Onik Chakma. In addition to mungdi and laksu, their menu includes momo, bamboo chicken, and luchi. The bamboo chicken is available every Friday and Saturday.
A taste of hills at Hakim Chattar
At Hakim Chattar, a popular food spot at the University of Dhaka, a small food cart named "Mungdi Khaba?" has brought a taste of the hills to the heart of the campus. The cart is run by Surmi Chakma and Wai Mong, students of Political Science and Bangla department of the university. Their slogan reads, "Enjoy the taste of hill food at DU campus."
Mungdi Khaba? serves different versions of mungdi — plain, egg, chicken — and chicken laksu. Prices range from 50 to 100 taka. The shop opens in the afternoon with food prepared for around 200 people, and everything is usually sold out within a few hours.
Despite being new, the cart has quickly drawn the attention of students. In the evenings, small crowds gather, and due to high demand, a token system has been introduced.
"We are still very new, yet the response has been wonderful. Most of our customers are Bengalis trying these dishes for the first time. Some even come late and feel disappointed when the food runs out," said Wai.
Growing popularity of hill vegetables
The distinct taste, the perception of purity, and the affordable price are drawing more Bengalis to hill cuisine. In addition, new shops around the city now offer fresh vegetables sourced directly from the hills.
The largest hub for hill vegetables in Dhaka is in Basabo. On one side of the area stands the city's largest Buddhist temple. Compared to other parts of the capital, more indigenous families live there. This is also why hill food and vegetables are more common in that neighbourhood.
A short walk ahead from the Basabo Buddhist Temple, a shop appears on the left-hand side selling vegetables, organic products, and dried fish. The sign reads Pahari Bazar, though locals know it better as Fulbareng Pahari Bazar. The shop's owner, Ronal Chakma, has been running his business in the Basabo area since 2015.
According to Ronal, people are drawn to hill produce because it is fresh. He also believes that growing health awareness has played a role. As more people began paying attention to what they eat, the demand for vegetables has steadily increased over the past decade.
"People have become more aware now. They understand that food grown from clean seeds is good for the body. Besides, produce from the hills tastes better and is more organic than that from the plains. No pesticides are used, so the health risks are lower", said Ronal.
At Fulbareng Pahari Bazar, a wide variety of seasonal vegetables can be found. There are bamboo shoots, small brinjals, hill chillies, beans, hill potatoes, and raw tamarind, among others. The market also has a large section for dried fish. Chhuri, loitta, shark, rupchanda, mola-kachki, and shrimp are all available here.
Along with Ronal, another trader in the Basabo area, Sonali Chakma, also sells hill produce. She has been running her business for the past six years, offering chemical-free vegetables and fruits under the name Jhum Bazar.
"Our vegetables from the hills are grown without any pesticides," Sonali said. "They taste good and stay fresh. I mainly work with organic vegetables and fruits grown through jhum cultivation."
Every Friday morning at six, Sonali opens her shop. She brings her produce from Khagrachhari and Dighinala. Most of her customers are Bengalis.
Carts at Manik Mia Avenue
Since the parliament was dissolved on the 5th of August last year, the wide stretch of road along Manik Mia Avenue has turned into a vibrant evening food market.
We are still very new, yet the response has been wonderful. Most of our customers are Bengalis trying these dishes for the first time. Some even come late and feel disappointed when the food runs out.
From late afternoon until around eleven at night, hundreds gather here to enjoy snacks, tea, and conversation. Among the many food carts offering everything from fried items to trinkets and accessories, a few stalls stand out for serving a taste of the hills.
Five hill food carts now line the pavement. Each offers familiar staples like mungdi, laksu, and bamboo chicken. At Mungdi House, run by Jewel Tanchangya and his friends, the menu includes five versions of mungdi, priced between 50 and 150 taka.
They also serve rosella tea — a tart herbal drink known for its health benefits, made from leaves brought from the hill regions. For those who pre-order, they prepare bamboo chicken, cooked slowly over charcoal inside a bamboo stem. It costs 500 taka with broiler chicken, and 1,000 taka if made with hill chicken.
A community in Mirpur
In Mirpur's Kazipara, there is a large indigenous community. To meet the needs of this community, several shops and small restaurants have been set up by indigenous entrepreneurs.
There are also food carts offering a range of hill dishes. Just beside the road, near the metro station, stands an unnamed vegetable stall. Every afternoon, the stall comes to life, selling a variety of hill vegetables, crabs, snails, fruits, and other items. After sunset, both Bengali and indigenous customers gather there.
Besides the Kazipara Metro Rail Station, a lane, known as Paris Furniture Goli, there is a small shop called Parbotto Bazar, owned by Knowledge Chakma. His shop sells different kinds of fruits and vegetables brought from the hills.
Knowledge said that he has a supplier in Khagrachhari who collects the goods from the hills and sends them to Dhaka every Friday and Tuesday.
Prices for hill fruits and vegetables are slightly higher than those at local markets. For instance, local papaya sells for around 100 taka per kilogram, while the hill papaya at Knowledge's shop costs between 120 and 130 taka per kilogram. The same applies to most vegetables.
"The products in my shop are authentic. There is no adulteration or formalin," Knowledge said. "That is why people are willing to pay a little more."
"I have both indigenous and Bengali customers. Bengalis usually buy fruits, while the indigenous customers buy a bit of everything," he added.
On the way from Mirpur 1 to the Ansar Camp bus stand, a small food cart catches the eye. Decorated with strips of bamboo, it glows under a hand-painted sign that reads Pahari Khabar (hill cuisine).
The cart, no larger than two or three feet across, has a tin door at the back and a glass display in front listing items like mungdi, chicken salad, and fried chicken salad. Each dish costs only 50 taka.
As the sun begins to set, people start to gather around the cart, Pahari Khabar. For those who love the hills but live in the dust and concrete of Mirpur, this cart brings a taste of that world. Behind the venture are two friends — Mohammad Zahidul Islam and John Chak. John comes from the hills. Zahidul, though a city dweller, shares the same love for the hills.
Zahidul believes that taste is the main reason behind the growing popularity of hill food in the plains. The cooking methods of the hills are slightly different, which makes the dishes appealing to many. He also points out that such food is not yet very common in Dhaka.
Over time, the popularity of hill food in the plains has continued to grow. Sellers believe that this demand is rising mainly because the food is healthier. People are drawn not only by curiosity but also by the promise of fresh, unadulterated produce.
