Shihan Chowdhury: The Chili-Pepper-Cook

Bangladesh's foodie and food vlogging scene is highly active. You can find hundreds of enthusiasts who share their love of food in various ways on social media. The home cooks who demonstrate their culinary abilities in front of thousands are arguably the most underappreciated of them all. There are fewer still who have a large following. 

Shihan Chowdhury is one such home cook of Bangladeshi origin, going by the alias 'Chilipeppercooks.' He has become a sensation on Tiktok, Instagram and Facebook through his unique cooking skills and recipes. He started gaining major attention for his videos during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown. He has shared a glimpse of his journey with The Business Standard and it was quite an experience to hear it from him.

Perhaps the most noticeable aspect about Shihan is the user name under which he chose to showcase his cooking. The name 'Chilipeppercooks' actually comes from his deep affection towards Bangladeshi cuisine. 

"I have taken deep inspiration from Bangladeshi cuisine. Being of Bangladeshi origin myself, I have spent a lot of time studying the culinary culture of the country. I have intricately focused on the ingredients they use in Bangladesh and I found out that 'Thai Chili Pepper' or 'Kacha Morich' is the most commonly used ingredient. 

Because I always try to bring a little bit of Bangladesh in my recipes, I adopted this name from the appreciation of the ingredients and culture," said Shihan.

Delving deeper into his cooking and recipe, they are very unique, to say the least. He deviates from linear, conventional and traditional methods of cooking. He focuses more on fusion, where he brings fresh variations and tastes of foods that we have known for most of our lives.

Shihan Chowdhury was very passionate when he explained his way of cooking. "Sticking to the traditional and conventional recipes and methods is not really doing something new. And bringing something new to the table is what I want to do. I want the food I cook to be unique while sticking to its roots," he said.

Shihan's "something new" can be an addition or tweaking of minor details – such as getting creative with the ingredients being used, or introducing an extra step within the recipe – only to make the food taste better and unconventional.

"For example, I tend to use different kinds of sauces where normally nobody would use any such sauce. But I do it to make the food taste better while also adding my own little twist. It is how I can call a recipe to be truly my own," Shihan added further.

And all of these really shows in his videos. Some of his formulas can sometimes leave a layman questioning if they really work. Frankly speaking, using Potato Crackers on a deep-fried chicken recipe for the spicy crunch coating, is an idea that most probably haven't thought of yet. 

But his recipes do work and they taste better than they look. Most of the comments on his video would stand to verify that.

All of his cooking is really a reflection of his love and passion for food. He was very impassioned while sharing the story of how he became so attached to cooking early on in his life.

 "I have been an avid admirer of everything culinary since I was a little kid. I used to watch a lot of cooking shows on TV. And the more I watched, the more I became attracted to the craft of cooking. Eventually, I started cooking myself and before I knew it, it became an essential part of my life. Cooking was like therapy for me," narrated Shihan.

This passion for cooking took him to many great places. He was featured by Google as one of the top Asian American content creators. He has collaborated with boxing heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury as well. 

"I want to keep moving forward and keep making content like this for years to come. And I want to keep moving up in the world as a home cook and what I have received so far was humbling but it is only the beginning," he excitedly explained. 

Shihan Chowdhury has been bringing the taste of Bangladesh on top of different recipes that are foreign. His cooking has inspired many. The reactions and adorations he receives from social media are nothing short of awe-inspiring. The future will only be even greater for him, with what he has to offer the culinary world.