FLAVOUR IN FAVOUR: Regular patrons swear by the fare served by the Central Excise canteen on the Maidan. Picture by Amit Datta

Where will you find the Prince of Calcutta’s favourite chicken dish? Not in fancy kitchens around the globe, but in a humble canteen at Eden Gardens.

“Maharaj is very fond of our chicken stew. He also has two glasses of lemon tea from our canteen whenever he practises here,” says Gopal Bhuniya, the younger of the two brothers who run Shakti-Gopal canteen, below a gallery in the stadium.

The eatery is an institution, as are most of the other 15-odd canteens on the Maidan. “Cricket in Calcutta is incomplete without the canteens,” says former Bengal opening batsman Devang Gandhi.

The canteens on the Maidan, most of them as old as the clubs, have changed hands several times, but the menus have remained almost the same. Fish fry, mutton stew and chicken stew are the mainstay. The quality of the food has remained high, according to Maidan regulars.

Curator of Eden Gardens and former Bengal batsman Kalyan Mitra fondly remembers the stew he used to savour as a youngster after practice sessions. “You will not find variety in the Maidan canteens, but the fare is hygienic and tasty. All the canteens serve ghugni, fish fry and stew. I used to like the food at Mohun Bagan and Aryan clubs. The Taltala tent has become popular now,” says the 71-year-old.

The majority of the canteens only provide food to the club’s players and officials. The more famous ones, like Central Excise, cater to the public. “People drop in from offices. Club officials take food home for their families,” says Munna Sharma, who runs the Central Excise and East Bengal canteens.

“Business is brisk during cricket season but the off-season is dry. We sustain ourselves by providing food to other clubs that do not have a canteen,” says Arabinda Naskar of the Taltala Institute canteen.

The Mohun Bagan canteen makes special items like mutton biryani when there are international matches at Eden Gardens. “We never increase our prices when there’s a match at Eden. It is a tradition among the spectators to eat here during the break,” says Kesto Naik, who has been working at the canteen from 1998.