Bengali's and Food

For the Bengalis, preparing and eating a meal is a ritual, a traditional basic meal consists of boiled rice and lentils (dal bhat), with of course a little fish. Bengalis, spend not only a great deal of time thinking about food but also on its preparation and eating. Quote's like "Bengalis live to eat" and Bengalis spend most of their income on food" are exaggerated, but there are some stories of the Bengali clerk reporting late at the office because his spiced fish stew (maacher jhol) was not ready on time, is a truism of the past.