Well, the end of 2021 isn’t exactly quarantine any longer, but neither is it easy to travel as pre-pandemic. So travel date nights are still happening, albeit much much less frequently than before. What was a weekly endeavor became monthly, and has now seemingly become quarterly. Nevertheless, it’s fun!
A picked our country this time, choosing a place I know zero about: Bangladesh. She had a friend who spent time there, so it was on her mind. Learning about a new country is a win in my mind! So we had a Bangladeshi themed date night. Here is our itinerary. Feel free to modify it to suit your own interests.
If you enjoy this, click here to read all of our travel themed date night itineraries. There are a lot!
Bangladeshi Themed Date Night
Eat: Biryani and Sandesh
Wait, isn’t biryani Indian? A brief history lesson. Historic India – pre-independence from the British – includes what is now India, as well as Pakistan and Bangladesh. Bangladesh was once East Pakistan before achieving its own independence. So the food of all three countries has a ton in common. Got it? Good!
This biryani is made with saffron rice, chicken marinated in ghee or yogurt and spices, potatoes, cashews, and raisins. I cooked every component separately and then baked them together. Shockingly, the cashews and raisins added a ton of flavor and texture and I wish I’d had more included.
Sandesh is basically a cookie made of sweetened paneer, homemade cheese. Ours didn’t set up like they were probably meant, and were hard to pick up without falling apart, but they tasted great. Topped with pistachio and candied mango for texture, this was a fascinating dessert!
Learn: History of Bangladesh
I gave much of it away with the earlier history lesson, but this super short video gives the basics of Bangladesh’s history. It’s always nice to learn something while eating.
Visit: Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh, and this vlog is a solid intro to the place. It has some cool architecture, good looking food, and seemingly interesting places to visit.
Watch: Made in Bangladesh
This film was the highlight of the evening. One of very few Bangladeshi films to ever appear in international film competitions, let alone be awarded, it was obviously low-budget, but is well acted, well written, and incredibly relevant. The film is about a group of women who work at a clothing factory and their attempts to unionize. It is rentable on Amazon Prime, and I highly recommend it. (It is in Bengali with subtitles.) Note: it may make you not want to buy any clothing again.
As much as the world is a bit, uh, troubled right now, I am grateful to live in this time for the technology we have, and the ability to utilize it for experiences like this one. I hope you are inspired to plan your own travel themed date night, whether to Bangladesh or any other place in this amazing world!
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