In Smoke Rice Water, Kishwar Chowdhury shares 100 recipes from the vibrant, interconnected and culinarily underrepresented region of Bengal. With warmth and clarity, she invites readers into her suburban Melbourne kitchen to discover traditional techniques, bold flavours and the foodways of more than 200 million people – from street snacks and Mughal court dishes to fish stews, green mango lentils and the cherished sweets of Bengal. Drawing on her experience as a second-generation migrant, Kishwar brings cultural knowledge, personal history and a fresh perspective to the table, honouring her Bengali heritage while making its recipes accessible and deeply satisfying for modern home cooks.