Bengalis living in various parts of the world are sometimes unsure about the English names of their favorite spices, fruits etc. They know the English names, but unaware about the corresponding Bengali names. In this article, we are presenting Bengali and English names of spices, fruits, vegetables, and other food items usually found in Bengali homes.
Table of Contents
1. Spices (āĻŽāĻļāĻ˛āĻž)
| # | Bengali | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | āĻšāĻ˛ā§āĻĻ | Turmeric |
| 2 | āĻāĻŋāĻ°āĻž, āĻāĻŋāĻ°ā§ | Cumin |
| 3 | āĻā§āĻāĻž āĻāĻŋāĻ°āĻž, āĻā§āĻāĻž āĻāĻŋāĻ°ā§ | Whole Cumin |
| 4 | āĻāĻžāĻ˛ā§ āĻāĻŋāĻ°āĻž, āĻāĻžāĻ˛ā§ āĻāĻŋāĻ°ā§ | Black Cumin, Nigella |
| 5 | āĻ§āĻ¨āĻŋā§āĻž, āĻ§āĻ¨ā§ | Coriander |
| 6 | āĻāĻžāĻāĻāĻž āĻ˛āĻā§āĻāĻž | Green Chili |
| 7 | āĻļā§āĻāĻ¨ā§ āĻ˛āĻā§āĻāĻž | Red Chili |
| 8 | āĻļā§āĻāĻ¨ā§ āĻ˛āĻā§āĻāĻžāĻ° āĻā§āĻ°ā§āĻŖ | Chili Flakes, Crushed Red Pepper |
| 9 | āĻ˛āĻŦāĻ¨, āĻ¨ā§āĻ¨ | Salt |
| 10 | āĻŦāĻŋāĻ āĻ˛āĻŦāĻ¨, āĻŦāĻŋāĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻ¨ | Black Salt, Rock Salt |
| 11 | āĻ¤ā§āĻāĻĒāĻžāĻ¤āĻž | Bay Leaf |
| 12 | āĻāĻ˛āĻžāĻ | Cardamom |
| 13 | āĻĻāĻžāĻ°āĻāĻŋāĻ¨āĻŋ | Cinnamon |
| 14 | āĻāĻžāĻĻāĻž | Ginger |
| 15 | āĻāĻĻāĻžāĻ° āĻā§āĻā§ā§ | Dried Ginger |
| 16 | āĻŽā§āĻĨāĻŋ | Fenugreek |
| 17 | āĻŽā§āĻ°āĻŋ | Fennel, Aniseed |
| 18 | āĻāĻžāĻ°āĻŋ āĻĒāĻžāĻ¤āĻž | Curry Leaves |
| 19 | āĻāĻŽāĻā§āĻ° | Dried Mango Powder |
| 20 | āĻā§āĻ˛ āĻŽāĻ°āĻŋāĻ, āĻāĻžāĻ˛ā§ āĻŽāĻ°āĻŋāĻ | Black Pepper |
| 21 | āĻā§ā§āĻžāĻ¨ | Carom Seed |
| 22 | āĻ°āĻžāĻāĻ§ā§āĻ¨āĻŋ | Celery Seed |
| 23 | āĻĒāĻžāĻāĻ āĻĢā§ā§āĻ¨ (āĻŽā§āĻĨāĻŋ, āĻŽā§āĻ°āĻŋ, āĻā§āĻāĻž āĻāĻŋāĻ°āĻž/āĻāĻŋāĻ°ā§, āĻāĻžāĻ˛ā§ āĻāĻŋāĻ°āĻž/āĻāĻŋāĻ°ā§, āĻ¸āĻ°āĻˇā§ āĻŦāĻž āĻ°āĻžāĻāĻ§ā§āĻ¨āĻŋ) | Mix of Five Spices, Panch Phoron (Mix of Fenugreek, Fennel, Cumin, Black Cumin, Mustard Seed or Celery Seed) |
| 24 | āĻāĻ°āĻŽ āĻŽāĻļāĻ˛āĻž | Garam Masala (Powder of mixed spices) |
| 25 | āĻā§āĻ˛āĻžāĻĒ āĻāĻ˛ | Rose Water |
| 26 | āĻāĻžāĻĢāĻ°āĻžāĻ¨ | Saffron |
| 27 | āĻ˛āĻŦāĻā§āĻ | Clove |
| 28 | āĻĒā§āĻĻāĻŋāĻ¨āĻž | Mint, Pepper Mint |
| 29 | āĻšāĻŋāĻ | Asafoetida |
| 30 | āĻ¸āĻ°āĻˇā§ | Mustard Seed (Black Mustard Seed, Yellow Mustard Seed) |
| 31 | āĻāĻžā§āĻĢāĻ˛, āĻā§āĻ¤ā§āĻ°ā§ | Nutmeg |
| 32 | āĻ¤āĻžāĻ°āĻž āĻŽā§āĻ°āĻŋ, āĻ¤āĻžāĻ°āĻāĻž āĻŽā§āĻ°āĻŋ | Star Anise |
2. Vegetables (āĻ¤āĻ°āĻŋāĻ¤āĻ°āĻāĻžāĻ°āĻŋ)
| # | Bengali | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | āĻāĻ˛ā§ | Potato |
| 2 | āĻŽāĻŋāĻˇā§āĻāĻŋ āĻāĻ˛ā§, āĻ°āĻžāĻāĻž āĻāĻ˛ā§ | Yam, Sweet Potato |
| 3 | āĻŦā§āĻā§āĻ¨ | Brinjal, Eggplant |
| 4 | āĻĒāĻāĻ˛ | Pointed Gourd |
| 5 | āĻāĻžāĻāĻ° | Carrot |
| 6 | āĻŦāĻŋāĻ | Beetroot |
| 7 | āĻŽā§āĻ˛ā§/āĻŽā§āĻ˛āĻž | Radish |
| 8 | āĻ˛ā§āĻŦā§ | Lemon |
| 9 | āĻāĻā§ | Taro |
| 10 | āĻāĻŋāĻā§āĻā§, āĻāĻŋāĻā§āĻāĻž | Ridge Gourd |
| 11 | āĻ˛āĻžāĻ | Bottle Gourd |
| 12 | āĻāĻžāĻ˛ āĻā§āĻŽā§ā§, āĻāĻžāĻ˛ āĻā§āĻŽā§āĻž | Ash Gourd |
| 13 | āĻāĻŋāĻāĻŋāĻā§āĻāĻž | Snake Gourd |
| 14 | āĻāĻ°āĻ˛āĻž, āĻāĻā§āĻā§ | Bitter Gourd |
| 15 | āĻāĻžāĻāĻāĻ°ā§āĻ˛ | Teasle Gourd, Spiny Gourd, Spine Gourd |
| 16 | āĻ§ā§āĻ¨ā§āĻĻā§āĻ˛, āĻ§ā§āĻāĻ§ā§āĻ˛, āĻ§ā§āĻŽā§āĻŦāĻž | Sponge Gourd, Zucchini |
| 17 | āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻ§āĻžāĻāĻĒāĻŋ | Cabbage |
| 18 | āĻĢā§āĻ˛āĻāĻĒāĻŋ | Cauliflower |
| 19 | āĻā§ā§āĻžāĻļ, āĻ¸ā§āĻā§ā§āĻžāĻļ | Chow Chow, Squash |
| 20 | āĻļāĻŋāĻŽ, āĻ¸ā§āĻŽ, āĻŦāĻ°āĻŦāĻā§ | Beans (Broad Beans, String Beans, Cluster Beans) |
| 21 | āĻ°āĻ¸ā§āĻ¨ | Garlic |
| 22 | āĻĒā§āĻā§āĻžāĻ | Onion |
| 23 | āĻĒā§āĻā§āĻžāĻāĻāĻ˛āĻŋ, āĻĒā§āĻā§āĻžāĻāĻĒāĻžāĻ¤āĻž | Spring Onion |
| 24 | āĻ¸āĻāĻ¨ā§, āĻ¸āĻāĻŋāĻ¨āĻž | Drumstick |
| 25 | āĻŽāĻāĻ°āĻļā§āĻāĻāĻŋ | Peas |
| 26 | āĻĸā§āĻā§āĻļ, āĻā§āĻ¨ā§āĻĄāĻŋ | Ladies Finger |
| 27 | āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻā§, āĻāĻŽā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻā§ | Tomato |
| 28 | āĻŽāĻŋāĻˇā§āĻāĻŋ āĻā§āĻŽāĻĄāĻŧā§, āĻŽāĻŋāĻˇā§āĻāĻŋ āĻā§āĻŽāĻĄāĻŧāĻž | Pumpkin |
| 29 | āĻĒāĻžāĻ˛āĻ āĻļāĻžāĻ | Spinach |
| 30 | āĻā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻĒāĻ¸āĻŋāĻāĻžāĻŽ | Capsicum, Bell Pepper |
| 31 | āĻŽāĻžāĻļāĻ°ā§āĻŽ | Mushroom |
| 32 | āĻāĻ˛āĻāĻĒāĻŋ | Turnip |
| 33 | āĻŦā§āĻŦāĻŋ āĻāĻ°ā§āĻŖ, āĻāĻāĻŋ āĻā§āĻā§āĻāĻž | Baby Corn |
| 34 | āĻŽā§āĻāĻž, āĻĨā§āĻ° | Banana Blossom |
3. Fruits (āĻĢāĻ˛)
| # | Bengali | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | āĻāĻŽ | Mango |
| 2 | āĻāĻžāĻāĻ āĻžāĻ˛ | Jackfruit |
| 3 | āĻāĻ˛āĻž | Banana |
| 4 | āĻ˛āĻŋāĻā§ | Litchi, Lychee |
| 5 | āĻāĻžāĻŽ | Indian Blackberry, Java Plum |
| 6 | āĻ¸ā§āĻā§āĻ°āĻŦā§āĻ°āĻŋ | Strawberry |
| 7 | āĻāĻā§āĻā§āĻ° | Grapes |
| 8 | āĻāĻ¨āĻžāĻ°āĻ¸ | Pineapple |
| 9 | āĻĒā§āĻāĻĒā§ | Papaya |
| 10 | āĻ¤āĻ°āĻŽā§āĻ | Watermelon |
| 11 | āĻŦāĻžāĻā§āĻāĻŋ, āĻĢā§āĻāĻŋ | Melon |
| 12 | āĻāĻ°āĻŦā§āĻ, āĻāĻ°āĻŽā§āĻ | Muskmelon, Cantaloupe |
| 13 | āĻāĻĒā§āĻ˛ | Apple |
| 14 | āĻāĻ¤āĻžāĻĢāĻ˛ | Custard Apple |
| 15 | āĻā§āĻ˛, āĻŦāĻ°āĻ | Indian Plum, Ber, Jujube |
| 16 | āĻāĻ | Sugarcane |
| 17 | āĻāĻŽāĻ˛āĻžāĻ˛ā§āĻŦā§ | Orange |
| 18 | āĻļāĻ¸āĻž | Cucumber |
| 19 | āĻāĻ˛āĻĒāĻžāĻ | Indian Olive |
| 20 | āĻĄāĻžāĻ˛āĻŋāĻŽ, āĻŦā§āĻĻāĻžāĻ¨āĻž | Pomegranate |
| 21 | āĻĄā§āĻŽā§āĻ° | Figs |
| 22 | āĻ¤ā§āĻāĻ¤ā§āĻ˛ | Tamarind |
| 23 | āĻ¨āĻžāĻļāĻĒāĻžāĻ¤āĻŋ | Pears |
| 24 | āĻĒā§ā§āĻžāĻ°āĻž | Guava |
| 25 | āĻĒā§āĻāĻĢāĻ˛ | Peach |
| 26 | āĻ¨āĻžāĻ°āĻā§āĻ˛ | Coconut |
| 27 | āĻāĻžāĻā§āĻŦāĻžāĻĻāĻžāĻŽ | Cashew |
| 28 | āĻŦāĻžāĻĻāĻžāĻŽ | Almond |
| 29 | āĻā§āĻ¨āĻžāĻŦāĻžāĻĻāĻžāĻŽ | Peanut, Groundnut |
| 30 | āĻāĻāĻ°ā§āĻ | Walnut |
| 31 | āĻāĻŋāĻ¸āĻŽāĻŋāĻ¸ | Raisin |
| 32 | āĻā§āĻā§āĻ° | Dates |
4. Grains and Animal Products (āĻļāĻ¸ā§āĻ¯ āĻ āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻžāĻŖā§āĻāĻžāĻ¤ āĻĻā§āĻ°āĻŦā§āĻ¯)
| # | Bengali | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | āĻāĻžāĻ˛, āĻāĻžāĻ¤ | Rice |
| 2 | āĻ¸ā§āĻĻā§āĻ§ āĻāĻžāĻ˛ | Boiled Rice |
| 3 | āĻāĻ¤āĻĒ āĻāĻžāĻ˛ | Sunned Rice |
| 4 | āĻ§āĻžāĻ¨ | Paddy, Rice |
| 5 | āĻāĻŽ | Wheat |
| 6 | āĻāĻāĻž | Wheat Flour |
| 7 | āĻŽā§āĻĻāĻž | Flour, Refined Wheat Flour |
| 8 | āĻā§āĻā§āĻāĻžāĻ° āĻŽā§āĻĻāĻž | Corn Flour, Corn Starch |
| 9 | āĻĄāĻžāĻ˛ (āĻŽā§āĻ¸ā§āĻ°, āĻŽā§āĻ, āĻŽāĻāĻ°, āĻāĻžāĻ¨āĻž āĻāĻ¤ā§ā§āĻžāĻĻāĻŋ) | Pulses, Lentils (Masoor/Red lentils, Moong/Green lentils, Split Peas, Bengal Gram etc.) |
| 10 | āĻŦā§āĻ¸āĻ¨ | Gram Flour, Bengal Gram Flour |
| 11 | āĻŽāĻāĻ° | Chick Peas, Green Peas, Yellow Peas |
| 12 | āĻ¸āĻ°āĻˇā§āĻ° āĻ¤ā§āĻ˛ | Mustard Oil |
| 13 | āĻ¨āĻžāĻ°āĻā§āĻ˛ āĻ¤ā§āĻ˛ | Coconut Oil |
| 14 | āĻ¸ā§āĻ°ā§āĻ¯āĻŽā§āĻā§ āĻ¤ā§āĻ˛ | Sunflower Oil |
| 15 | āĻ¤āĻŋāĻ˛ | Sesame Seed |
| 16 | āĻĒā§āĻ¸ā§āĻ¤ | Poppy Seed |
| 17 | āĻāĻŋāĻ¨āĻŋ | Sugar |
| 18 | āĻā§ā§ | Jaggery |
| 19 | āĻŽāĻžāĻāĻ¨ | Butter |
| 20 | āĻāĻŋ | Ghee, Clarified Butter |
| 21 | āĻĒāĻ¨ā§āĻ° | Paneer, Indian Cottage Cheese |
| 22 | āĻŽāĻžāĻ (āĻ°ā§āĻ, āĻāĻžāĻ¤āĻ˛āĻž, āĻāĻ˛āĻŋāĻļ āĻāĻ¤ā§ā§āĻžāĻĻāĻŋ) | Fish (Rohu, Catla, Hilsa etc.) |
| 23 | āĻāĻŋāĻā§āĻŋ | Prawn |
| 24 | āĻāĻžāĻāĻā§āĻž | Crab |
| 25 | āĻŽā§āĻ°āĻā§āĻ° āĻŽāĻžāĻāĻ¸ | Chicken |
| 26 | āĻĒāĻžāĻāĻ āĻžāĻ° āĻŽāĻžāĻāĻ¸ | Mutton |
| 27 | āĻā§āĻā§āĻžāĻ° āĻŽāĻžāĻāĻ¸ | Lamb |
| 28 | āĻŽāĻžāĻāĻ¸ | Meat |
| 29 | āĻĄāĻŋāĻŽ | Egg |
5. Other Foods (āĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻ¨ā§āĻ¯ āĻāĻžāĻŦāĻžāĻ°)
| # | Bengali | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | āĻ°ā§āĻāĻŋ | Roti, Plain Bread |
| 2 | āĻĒāĻ°āĻāĻž | Paratha, Unleavened Flatbread |
| 3 | āĻ˛ā§āĻāĻŋ | Luchi, Deep Fried Flatbread |
| 4 | āĻĒāĻžāĻāĻ°ā§āĻāĻŋ | Bread, Loaf |
| 5 | āĻāĻŋāĻā§āĻž, āĻāĻŋāĻā§ā§ | Rice Flakes, Flattened Rice |
| 6 | āĻŽā§ā§āĻŋ | Puffed Rice |
| 7 | āĻŦāĻŋāĻ°āĻŋā§āĻžāĻ¨āĻŋ | Biryani |
| 8 | āĻĢā§āĻ°āĻžāĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻĄ āĻ°āĻžāĻāĻ¸ | Fried Rice |
| 9 | āĻĄāĻžāĻ˛ | Lentil Soup |
| 10 | āĻāĻŋāĻā§āĻĄāĻŧāĻŋ | Hotchpotch, Hodgepodge |
| 11 | āĻā§āĻ˛, āĻ¤āĻ°āĻāĻžāĻ°āĻŋ | Gravy, Curry, Soup |
| 12 | āĻŽāĻžāĻā§āĻ° āĻā§āĻ˛ | Fish Curry |
| 13 | āĻŽā§āĻ°āĻāĻŋāĻ° āĻŽāĻžāĻāĻ¸ā§āĻ° āĻā§āĻ˛ | Chicken Curry |
| 14 | āĻĒāĻžāĻāĻ āĻžāĻ° āĻŽāĻžāĻāĻ¸ā§āĻ° āĻā§āĻ˛ | Mutton Curry |
| 15 | āĻĄāĻŋāĻŽā§āĻ° āĻāĻŽāĻ˛ā§āĻ | Egg Omelette |
| 16 | āĻāĻ˛ā§ āĻ¸ā§āĻĻā§āĻ§ | Smashed Potato |
| 17 | āĻ¨āĻŋāĻ°āĻžāĻŽāĻŋāĻˇ āĻ¤āĻ°āĻāĻžāĻ°āĻŋ | Mixed Vegetables, Mix Vegetables |
| 18 | āĻļā§āĻā§āĻ¤ā§ | Shukto (Mixed vegetable curry with slightly bitter taste) |
| 19 | āĻāĻā§āĻā§āĻŋ | Chachchari, Charchari, Chadchadi (Mixed vegetables cooked with spices and optionally with fish or fish-head) |
| 20 | āĻāĻ¨ā§āĻ | Ghanto (Mixed dish) |
| 21 | āĻŽā§ā§āĻŋ āĻāĻ¨ā§āĻ | Muri Ghanto (Fish head cooked with rice) |
