Fiction/Non-fiction
Mohona Kanjilal was born in Kolkata and spent most of her childhood in Bengaluru. She is an alumna of Loreto College in Kolkata, where she majored in Political Science. After acquiring a diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication, she began her career in Kolkata as a freelance journalist. It was during her stint with the newspapers that she got bitten by the writing bug and ventured into full time writing after a few years. Her first book, Treasure Hunt in Jolly Boa and Other Stories, was a collection of short stories for children. This book was followed by another collection of short stories titled Circus & Other Stories. A Taste of Time – A Food History of Calcutta is her third book and first work of non-fiction. Published by Speaking Tiger Books in 2021, this book has been receiving rave reviews from critics and readers across the country. The book not only delves deep into Kolkata’s food history but also makes an in-depth study of the history of the city and the histories of the different communities living in it. Through historical facts, interesting anecdotes and detailed analyses, A Taste of Time – A Food History of Calcutta, makes an elaborate study of how the culinary practices and food habits of the different communities that once made up the demography of Kolkata like the British and the Portuguese as well as of those communities still living in the city like the Armenians, Jews, Anglo-Indians, Chinese and Parsis have had an impact on the local cuisine of the land. Mohona Kanjilal lives in Kolkata, a city that has been her home now for years.
“This book is an account of everything you want to know about the food of Kolkata. Food is an undeniably very intricate part of Calcutta residents. For example, Puchka, Jhal Muri, puffed spicy rice, Ghugni, semisolid smashed or whole yellow peas, and many others. People of different origins reside in Calcutta in British India, which was the capital of India at that time. This book is not only about food, but it also covers Calcutta's history. It covers different communities, their participation in the food of Calcutta. It also covers the growth of hospitality of Calcutta. Hotels, the history of British westerns, and many other things related to food. Pre-independence eateries were meeting hub of freedom fighters. Even Ramkrishna Paramhansa loved the dishes of potatoes. Subhash Chandra Bose loved to eat fritters from the shop which exist even today. In the time of Mughal, Bengal was very prosperous due to textiles and silk. British are responsible for the degradation of Bengal. British certainly have a great influence on food habits. It was considered the pillar of food culture. They prominently introduced beverages. I have also covered coffee and Tea in this book. British learn the taste of Tea quite later than Europeans. I feel this book will take you on an amazing food exploration journey.”