Nadia Hussain sparks fury over her comments about Bangladesh

After winning the Great British Bake off challenge last year Nadia Hussain became an overnight role model for people in Luton and in particular the Bangladeshi community. In an interview recently Nadia sparked fury amongst the Bangladeshi community when she said that Bangladeshi people avoid using chairs when they eat and also claimed that there was no cheese or concept of dessert in Bangladesh.

This comes as a shock to most Bangladeshi people and has caused outrage and disappointment amongst others.  Eating at the dinner table is common practice amongst most Bangladeshi people though some may choose to eat traditionally. The latter is a rare occurrence and I have not come across any family that practices those traditions. Even in rural parts of Bangladesh people manage to make their own dinner table and chair when they cannot afford to buy.

The comments Nadia makes about her own eating experiences though may be true can have a negative reaction and I hope she learns from this experience to present those views in a light that does not create controversies.

Nadia’s comment about Cheese really is surprising considering she is a baker and could have done some research before making those comments.  In Bangladesh Paneer is a very popular cheese and many people all around the country from Dhaka to Sylhet enjoy eating it raw and with many different types of cooked dishes. There are many other cheese types and is a growing market. I hope Nadia finds some time to samples some of Bangladeshi cheese.

Dessert in Bangladesh where do I start, there are so many lovely deserts made in Bangladesh. If you have a sweet tooth you will be in heaven.  Gazor (Carrot) Halwa is my favourite with a dollop of ice cream. You can have Misti Doi (Sweet Yoghurt) and many other different types of deserts. I am sure Nadia will be exploring some of the desserts from Bangladesh and changing her mind.

It’s hard to be a role model and I am sure Nadia is learning to cope with her newly found fame. Bangladeshi people, food and culture make us unique and I hope Nadia will become a champion in the future and represent the community in better light.