Forash

Forash

Biran bhaat & Forashor Dail, a traditional Sylheti breakfast
Alternative names	Forash bisi
Course	main dish
Place of origin	Bangladesh
Region or state	Sylhet
Main ingredients	onion, oil and turmeric.

Forash (Bengali: ফরাস) is a leguminous winter crop often featured in Bengali cuisine^[1] It is a kind of French bean, hence the name “Forash” which means French in Bengali. As a vegetable, it is similar to beans. Raw Forash is cooked as a vegetable, though the main part is its seeds. Forash is usually cooked with fish and meat. It is served with cooked rice and roti.^[2] For the Sylhetis who live abroad, especially in the United Kingdom, the United States and the Middle East, Forash is dried in the sun and sent in packets to them.^[3]

The climate of the Greater Sylhet region is dry in winter and the soil is moist, so Forash has been cultivated in Sylhet since ancient times.^[3] It first came to Sylhet from France. This is why it is called Forash in Sylheti language. This vegetable is grown well in the alluvium soil of Sylhet.^[4] This winter vegetable has also been growing in Chittagong and Comilla in recent years.^[3] Because of its popularity among the worldwide Sylhetis,^[5] it is exported to several countries including England, America and Canada.^[6]