The Root of all Indo Chinese Food

Rishav Chatterjee

The Root of all Indo Chinese Food

From Crispy Chilli Corn, Schezwan Chicken, Stir Fried Veggies to Hakka Noodles, Cantonese Chow Mein and Burnt Garlic Fried Rice - the history of all of these dishes and more is one of poverty, deprivation and migration. The Chinatowns of Kolkata are the birthplace of modern Indo-Chinese Cuisine.

A glimpse of Territi Bazaar where one can find all sorts of fried and steamed boas, dumplings, fried dough and other Chinese delicacies from 5am to 7am; Image Source- Youtube

Thus, the next time you indulge in dishes like Chilli Paneer and Sweet and Sour Chicken keep Mr. Tong Atchew in mind!

Nanking was opened in 1924 by a wealthy Chinese family – the Aou family. They built a two storied complex with Nanking in the first floor and a Chinese temple called the “Toong On Church” on the second floor. The church is dedicated to the Chinese pagan God of war called Kwan Ti. Apart from this, there are other Chinese temples in the area each managed by a body called Hui Gang which is a Native Chinese Association, sort of an informal club.

Each Hui Gang would have under its control one Chinese Church in Poddar Court and one Chinese cemetery in Tangra. The members of this club would have the rights to preach in a church and be buried in a Chinese cemetery. The church still stands till this day. Here’s an interesting tidbit – Chinese delegates who had the privilege to visit the city post 1960 were flabbergasted seeing a Chinese pagan temple that too in Kolkata. The delegates had not seen anything like this as all temples in China were demolished following the Cultural Revolution of Mao Zedong.

The Toong On Church still stands today but Nanking did not get to share the same fate. Post the 1962 Sino-Indian war, the government enacted a policy of racial profiling of Chinese individuals. Many people were imprisoned and sent off to camps in Rajasthan where living conditions, food, healthcare and hygiene were at abominable levels. Many people were detained without any legal trial.

Although Nanking is no more, institutions like D’Lay Chinese Eating House and Tung Nam successfully continue the Cantonese culinary tradition and serve some very unique dishes that cannot be found anywhere else in Kolkata such as the Ham Choi Rice (pickled saag gravy served over a bed of steamed rice with a protein of your choice), Pork Roast Fry and Yameli (steamed noodles with garlic).

This is the basis of Cantonese food that is found in Poddar Court and Hakka food that is found in Topsia region. The nomadic and poor lifestyle of the Hakka people is still reflected in their cuisine where most of the dishes including the infamous Hakka Noodle are made within a few minutes in lieu of stir frying ingredients in high flame with a few seasonings.

However, when one looks at the first traditional China Town in Kolkata in Poddar Court area the only restaurant that comes to one’s mind is this place called Nanking. Nanking was the most popular Chinese joint in the area which served authentic Chinese food with a plush décor even the entrance of the joint had violin players greeting customers. Famous personalities like Raj Kapoor and Shami Kapoor have visited the place and stand testimony to its culinary legacy.

After Tong Atchew, the bulk of his bonded labourers slowly started to travel from BojBoj towards Calcutta and after reaching Dharmatala they finally settled down near Territi Bazar. Apart from this, the Chinese migrated to India in several waves owing to numerous civil wars in China like the Taiping Rebellion, Boxer Rebellion, Chinese Civil War and later the Second World War. Thus, through the years a thriving Chinese community developed in Kolkata.

Just like Indians have professions based on caste whereby certain communities partake in certain professions on a hereditary basis, the Chinese also had a similar tradition. Various Chinese communities hailing from different parts of China took up different profession when they came to Kolkata. The Shanghai Chinese for instance ran the laundry while the Hupang or Hupak Chinese community took up dentistry. It was however, the Cantonese Chinese who ran the restaurants around Territi Bazar. From their restaurants, the Cantonese style of cooking flowed.

The people from Hakka however had a nomadic lifestyle, they had no skill set to offer like the other Chinese communities so they took up the profession that was considered abhorred, unclean, unhygienic and religiously sensitive – Tannery (working with pig and cow skin). They moved away from Poddar court area to Tangra in Topsia region during the 1930s. Later on the tanneries of Tangra were moved elsewhere and these tannery spaces were converted to restaurants. Since these spaces were predominantly owned by Hakka people, Tangra served Hakka Chinese food which is still relevant today.

Understanding the history of China Town in Kolkata can be a bit confusing as Kolkata has two China Towns - one in Tangra corresponding to Topsia region, and one in the Poddar Court area which is the original and traditional China Town. Poddar Court is synonymous with the famous Chinese street breakfast spread called Territi Bazar. The name of this street traces its history back to a Venetian in Kolkata called Edward Tiretta, who was a town planner in Kolkata. He owned a market around Poddar Court and it is said that he lost the entire market in a game of cards. From there on, the street is called Territi Bazaar – a street lined by numerous small Chinese shops every day from 4 am to 7 am in the morning.

However, the history of Chinese community in Bengal is quite different. The first Chinese in Bengal was actually a tea trader called Yang Da Zhao or Tong Atchew. He came to Bengal around the 1700s and requested Lord Dalhousie to give him some land to set up a sugar mill. He was given 650 acres of land in a place called BojBoj for an annual rent of just 45 rupees. He also brought bonded laborers along with him, to work in the mill. The Chinese community in Kolkata worships Tong Atchew as an icon so much so that the place where he died is now called Achipur.