The Tangra region east of Kolkata is home to a substantial and successful Chinese community with a vibrant and very distinct identity.
As the Chinese opened restaurants for Bengalees, they spiced up their Cantonese sauces with sliced chillies and hot sauces, creating unique dishes such as chilly chicken and veg manchurian.
Indian-Chinese cuisine was given another big boost when a large number of Tibetans migrated into India. The Tibetans brought their own delicacies to this genre, such as our very popular momo (a kind of dumpling) and thukpa (a hearty noodle soup).
These Tibetans and Nepalese found ready employment in local kitchens as 'Chinese' cooks because of their similar looks. Thanks to them, a unique fusion of flavours, Tangra Chinese, has evolved and taken hold in most streets of Kolkata.
