Cornelius R at 23:40, 6 May 2026

2026-05-06T23:40:20Z

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{{Short description|Traditional Assamese and Bengali rice cake}}
{{Infobox food
| name = Chunga pitha
| image = চুঙা চাউল ১.jpg
| caption =
| alternate_name = Chungapura pitha, Sunga pitha, Sunga saul
| region = [[Assam]]
| national_cuisine = [[Assamese cuisine]], [[Burmese cuisine|Burmese]], [[Cambodian cuisine|Cambodian]], [[Lao cuisine|Lao]], [[Thai cuisine|Thai]], [[Vietnamese cuisine|Vietnamese]]
| country = India, Bangladesh
| course = Breakfast and light refreshment
| type = [[Desserts]]
| served =
| main_ingredient = [[Glutinous rice]] and [[bamboo]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latestly.com/lifestyle/food/magh-bihu-2020-special-sweets-laru-pitha-doi-sira-enjoy-these-assamese-traditional-dessert-recipes-on-bhogali-bihu-1467535.html |title=Magh Bihu 2020 Special Sweets: Laru, Pitha, Doi-Sira, Enjoy These Assamese Traditional Dessert Recipes on Bhogali Bihu |website=latestly.com |date=14 January 2020 |access-date=22 March 2020}}</ref>
| variations =
| other =
| similar_dish = [[Sticky rice in bamboo]]
}}
{{Indian cuisine}}
'''Chunga pitha''', '''Sunga pitha''', '''Chungapura pitha''' or '''Sunga saul''' is a traditional [[rice cake]] (''[[pitha]]'') originating in the [[Assam]] and [[Sylhetis|Sylhet region]] of [[South Asia]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://pragnews.com/regional-assamese/bihu-pitha-special-story|title=বিহু ৰঙীন কৰি তোলে পিঠাই! অসমীয়াৰ কেইবিধমান পিঠাৰ বিষয়ে জানো আহক|newspaper=pragnews|language=as |date=3 April 2023}}</ref><ref name="patakuri"/> Though its main ingredients are bamboo and glutinous (sticky) rice, it is also made with binni rice, [[milk]], [[sugar]], [[coconut]], and rice powder.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bora |first=Amrita |date=1 October 2020 |title=Traditional knowledge and method of various rice preparations in Assam |url=https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Amrita-Bora/publication/388708151_Traditional_knowledge_and_method_of_various_rice_preparations_in_Assam/links/67a33e268311ce680c53322b/Traditional-knowledge-and-method-of-various-rice-preparations-in-Assam.pdf?origin=publication_detail&_tp=eyJjb250ZXh0Ijp7ImZpcnN0UGFnZSI6InB1YmxpY2F0aW9uIiwicGFnZSI6InB1YmxpY2F0aW9uRG93bmxvYWQiLCJwcmV2aW91c1BhZ2UiOiJwdWJsaWNhdGlvbiJ9fQ |journal=Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7MK3DwAAQBAJ&q=sunga+pitha&pg=PA132|title=Traditional Foods: History, Preparation, Processing and Safety|date=18 October 2019|editor=Mohammed Al-Khusaibi |editor2=Nasser Al-Habsi |editor3=Mohammad Shafiur Rahman |page=132 |publisher=Springer |isbn=9783030246204|access-date=22 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://bitmesra.ac.in/naps/barak/|title=The Beckoning Beauty of Barak|website=[[Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra|BIT MESRAr]]|date=21 December 2017|access-date=28 April 2020|archive-date=5 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200705202457/https://bitmesra.ac.in/naps/barak/|url-status=dead}}</ref> This unique delicacy is prepared when [[sticky rice]] is stuffed inside young [[bamboo]] and smoked slowly.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/living-and-lifestyle/food-thought-understanding-bangladeshi-cuisine-1366084|title=Food for thought: Understanding Bangladeshi cuisine|website=[[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)|The Daily Star]] |date=February 24, 2017|access-date=29 April 2020}}</ref> It is popularly known as a distinct and traditional food in [[Assamese cuisine|Assamese]] and [[Bengali cuisine|Bengali]] cuisines.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.guwahatiplus.com/sunga-pitha-no-longer-traditional-mandate-in-guwahati |title=Sunga Pitha No Longer Traditional Mandate In Guwahati|date=13 January 2024}}</ref><ref name="bhorerdak">{{cite news |url=http://bhorer-dak.com/details.php?id=46518 |title=হারিয়ে যাচ্ছে সিলেটের চুঙ্গা পিঠার ঢলুবাঁশ |newspaper=bhorer-dak |language=bn |date=13 December 2017 |access-date=22 January 2016 |archive-date=26 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026023924/https://bhorer-dak.com/details.php?id=46518 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/lifestyle/spotlight/bangladesh-cuisine-part-i-delectable-and-diverse-1325551 |title=Bangladesh cuisine part I - delectable and diverse |website=[[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)|The Daily Star]] |date=6 December 2016 |access-date=15 April 2020}}</ref>

This traditional [[delicacy]] is famous in [[Assam]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.xobdo.org/dic/Sunga%20Pitha |title=Sunga Pitha |website=[[xobdo.org]] |access-date=22 March 2020}}</ref> It is prepared at the time of [[Magh Bihu]] or [[Bhogali Bihu]], a harvest festival celebrated in [[India]]'s northeastern [[Assam]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/sunga-pitha.html |title=Sunga Pitha |website=[[Alamy]] |access-date=22 March 2020}}</ref>

==History==
{{Main|Sticky rice in bamboo}}
[[Sticky rice in bamboo]] is known as a ubiquitous traditional food in many traditional [[Southeast Asia]]n communities. In [[Minangkabau people|Minangkabau]] culture, lemang, or ''lamang'' is a traditional food which consists of glutinous rice or [[tapai]] that is used in various traditional ceremonies, mainly in [[West Sumatra]], [[Indonesia]].

Fish [[bazaar]]s have been very common throughout [[Bengal]] for centuries. People in the Sylhet region buy fish from these markets or catch big fish ({{Transliteration|bn|[[Rohu|rui]], [[Catla|katla]], [[Chitala|chitl]], [[Wallago attu|gual]], [[Ompok|pabda]], [[Anabas|koi]], [[Walking catfish|magur]]}}) from the [[haor]]s and [[river]]s, and fry them to eat.<ref name="patakuri">{{cite web |url=https://www.patakuri.net/%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B2%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%9F%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%90%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B9%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B9%E0%A7%80-%E0%A6%9A%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%99%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%97/ |title=সিলেটের ঐতিহ্যবাহী চুঙ্গাপুড়া পিঠার প্রধান উপকরণ ঢলুবাঁশ হারিয়ে যেতে চলেছে |newspaper=patakuri.net online|language=bn |date=13 December 2017 |access-date=16 January 2016 }}</ref> It was seen as a shame not to offer chunga pitha, [[fried fish]], and [[coconut milk]]/sweets or ''[[murabba]]'', to guests or a new son-in-law at the end of a meal.<ref name="syl1">{{cite news|url=http://www.sylheterdak.com.bd/details.php?id=5363|title=বিলুপ্তির পথে সিলেটের ঐতিহ্যবাহী ডলু বাঁশ|newspaper=Sylheter Dak|language=bn|date=20 January 2017|access-date=16 April 2020}}{{Dead link|date=December 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

The various hill tribes of Sylhet had a tradition of cutting bamboo and putting wet rice inside it. Gradually, the food started to be popular from the hills to the [[Sylhetis]] living in the plains. In the course of time, this ''chunga'' (bamboo tube) dish came to be known as chunga pitha.<ref name="ittefaq">{{cite news |url=http://archive.ittefaq.com.bd/index.php?ref=MjBfMDJfMDJfMTRfMV8yNV8xXzEwNTczMw== |title=ঐতিহ্যবাহী খাবার সিলেটের চুঙ্গা পিঠা |newspaper=[[The Daily Ittefaq]] |language=bn |access-date=13 January 2016}}</ref>

Though ''atap'' rice is the main food of the people of Sylhet region, they prefer [[glutinous rice]] to make this delicacy.<ref name="syl">{{cite news|url=http://www.sylheterdak.com.bd/details.php?id=9857|title=চুঙ্গা পিঠা : বাঁশ দিয়ে প্রাতঃরাশ|newspaper=[[Sylheter Dak]]|language=bn|date=3 January 2018|access-date=16 April 2020|archive-date=11 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180111052510/http://www.sylheterdak.com.bd/details.php?id=9857|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Procedure==
[[File:Sungapitha.jpg|thumb| Bamboo is burning to make sunga fita]]
To make this rice cake, {{Transliteration|bn|mulibash}} (a small type of bamboo) is required. This bamboo contains a special type of especially oily chemical that helps not burn the bamboo shoots in a fire. [[Sticky rice]] rolled with [[banana]] leaf is inserted into the bamboo tube.<ref name="ittefaq" /> Then it is burned with [[straw]] to make chunga pitha.<ref name="KristiKatha">{{cite news |url=http://krishtikatha.com/2017/10/09/%e0%a6%ac%e0%a6%bf%e0%a6%b2%e0%a7%81%e0%a6%aa%e0%a7%8d%e0%a6%a4-%e0%a6%aa%e0%a7%8d%e0%a6%b0%e0%a6%be%e0%a7%9f-%e0%a6%90%e0%a6%a4%e0%a6%bf%e0%a6%b9%e0%a7%8d%e0%a6%af%e0%a6%ac%e0%a6%be%e0%a6%b9%e0%a7%80/ |title=বিলুপ্ত প্রায় ঐতিহ্যবাহী চুঙ্গাপিঠা |newspaper=KristiKatha |language=bn |date=9 October 2017 |access-date=20 December 2017}}</ref> Due to the presence of excessive juice of the bamboo, the inner part of the tube is boiled in the heat of the fire.<ref name="bhorerdak" /> This bamboo is used to make different types of rice cakes. In some places, baking is occurred with sticky rice, milk, sugar, coconut, and rice powder.<ref name="patakuri" />

Once the delicacy is prepared, the rice cake is shaped as a [[candle]] and separated from the tube.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://sylheterdak.com.bd/details.php?id=20749|title=বাংলার ঐতিহ্যবাহী পিঠা|newspaper=Sylheter Dak|language=bn|date=2 January 2019|access-date=28 April 2020}}{{Dead link|date=July 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== See also ==
* [[Bangladeshi cuisine]]
* ''[[Zongzi]]''
* [[Sticky rice in bamboo]]
* ''[[Puto bumbong]]''
{{portal|Food}}
{{Glutinous rice dishes}}
{{Bengali Pithas}}
{{Bangladeshi dishes}}
{{Rice dishes}}

[[Category:Sweet pies]]
[[Category:Sylheti cuisine]]
[[Category:Glutinous rice dishes]]
[[Category:Foods containing coconut]]
[[Category:Assamese cuisine]]
[[Category:Stuffed dishes]]
[[Category:Pitha]]

Chunga pitha - Revision history

Cornelius R at 23:40, 6 May 2026