New York and it's boroughs have always been food trend setters. Whatever comes from the city spreads first to the suburbs and then the rest of the world. This is true with fuchka - a Bengal street food that everyone can't get enough of to snack on.
International contributor and sports writer (!) Andrew Keh wrote about this in the main section of today's New York Times. Fuchka pronounced fooch ka, (sort of like the plant and the color) is a tasty Bengali street food. It's closest cousin could be pani pura and gol gappa.. Both are filled with potatoes , yellow peas, onion and cilantro. Chili flavoring gives them their kick. The mix is stuffed into semi opeend semolina shells and then deepf fired. A splash of tamerind sauce gives them their tangy sweetness. Shaved hard boiled egg slivers decorate it. There are recipes on the web if you want to try making them at home.
The idea of brining this to America is Naeem Khandaker who brought the idea from his native Khulna in southern Bangladesh. He saw that bengalis were not selling thier recipes but Indian recipes or Bengali foods under different names. This would not do for him. H eopened Tong in 2018 and within a few weeks had a steady stream of customers. Soon there were more food carts selling the delicious treat, ripping off his recipe. Althought Mr. Khandakar has opned up more food carts in the boroughs and even a restaurant in Jamaica Queens. There are fierce rivalries which even result in calling in the cops. Yet the food unifies the growning Bengali population here in New York
Hopefully there will be fuchka trucks and restaurants throught the metro area. This treat is too tasty to be kept to one neighborhood. The world should know about these.
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