My 89-year-old Bengali neighbor, Kamala Didi, grows 23 different saag varieties in her tiny Brooklyn apartment. When I asked her secret, she laughed: “Americans know only spinach. We Bengalis know 50 shaak – each one medicine, each one memory.”
This hit me hard. Here I was, calling myself a food blogger, yet I couldn't name half the leafy greens my own grandmother cooked. That embarrassing moment started my 12-month-long deep dive into Bengali shaak culture – interviewing 20+ Bengali grandmothers, visiting Bangladesh Vegetable Market, Kolkata Vegetable markets, and taste-testing varieties I'd never heard of.
Quick Reference: Top 20 Bengali Saag Names
| Bengali Name | Pronunciation | English Name | Scientific Name | Peak Season |
| পালক শাক (Palak Shaak) | PAH-lak shaak | Spinach | Spinacia oleracea | Winter |
| লাউ শাক (Lau Shaak) | LAU shaak | Bottle gourd leaves | Lagenaria siceraria | Summer |
| কচু শাক (Kochu Shaak) | KO-chu shaak | Colocasia leaves | Colocasia esculenta | Monsoon |
| কুমড়ো শাক (Kumro Shaak) | KUM-ro shaak | Pumpkin leaves | Cucurbita species | Summer |
| মূলা শাক (Mula Shaak) | MU-la shaak | Radish leaves | Raphanus sativus | Winter |
| সরিষা শাক (Sarisha Shaak) | sho-RI-sha shaak | Mustard greens | Brassica juncea | Winter |
| কলমি শাক (Kalmi Shaak) | kol-MI shaak | Water spinach | Ipomoea aquatica | Summer |
| পুঁই শাক (Puin Shaak) | PU-in shaak | Malabar spinach | Basella alba | Summer |
| সজনে শাক (Sojne Shaak) | SHOJ-ne shaak | Drumstick leaves | Moringa oleifera | Year-round |
| থানকুনি শাক (Thankuni Shaak) | than-KU-ni shaak | Indian pennywort | Centella asiatica | Monsoon |
| হেলেঞ্চা শাক (Helencha Shaak) | he-LEN-cha shaak | Buffalo spinach | Enhydra fluctuans | Monsoon |
| বেতো শাক (Beto Shaak) | BE-to shaak | Amaranth leaves | Amaranthus viridis | Summer |
| চাল কুমড়ো শাক (Chal Kumro Shaak) | chal KUM-ro shaak | Ash gourd leaves | Benincasa hispida | Summer |
| শুষনি শাক (Shushni Shaak) | SHUSH-ni shaak | Marsilea leaves | Marsilea quadrifolia | Monsoon |
| ডাঁটা শাক (Data Shaak) | DA-ta shaak | Amaranth stems | Amaranthus species | Summer |
| ঝিঙা শাক (Jhinga Shaak) | JHI-nga shaak | Ridge gourd leaves | Luffa acutangula | Summer |
| চিচিঙ্গা শাক (Chichinga Shaak) | chi-CHIN-ga shaak | Snake gourd leaves | Trichosanthes species | Summer |
| বরবটি শাক (Boroboti Shaak) | bo-ro-BO-ti shaak | Yardlong bean leaves | Vigna unguiculata | Summer |
| শিম শাক (Shim Shaak) | SHIM shaak | Flat bean leaves | Lablab purpureus | Winter |
| মেথি শাক (Methi Shaak) | ME-thi shaak | Fenugreek leaves | Trigonella foenum-graecum | Winter |
The Bengali Saag Secret That Shook My Kitchen
Bengali cuisine doesn't just cook with greens – it celebrates them with smoky mustard oil and simple spices that make “a comforting meal.” But here's what nobody tells you: Bengali grandmothers follow an ancient seasonal system that matches specific saag to your body's needs.
During my Bangladesh research, 73-year-old Shefali Ma explained: “Winter saag gives iron when blood needs warming. Summer saag cools when heat burns inside. Monsoon saag cleans toxins when humidity blocks digestion.”
This isn't folklore – it's nutritional genius.
