Bihar developed its food habit from the different dynasties and gradually their food habit got embedded in Bihar cuisine. Being blessed with fertile scales and rivers Bihar Cuisine offers rice as the staple food. History mentions that the Chinese traveler Hiuen Tsang was given Mahasali rice(a kind of perfumed rice) to eat at the court of Harshavardhan. The rice cultivated in Patna is described as "rare and unequalled in quality" by the Mughal historian. One of the most famous and demanded rice is Shali rice which has its spreading preference in whole world and Basmati and Shahpasand are adored in India. Being the staple food of Bihari Cuisine, rice has a variety of preparations to offer. Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, was said to be offered a rice cooked with milk and honey.

Bihar cuisine has been enriched by the influence of rich ancient culture and also by the modernization . Being an important center of culture , power and education Bihar was ruled by the Sunga Dynasty(185B.C to 80A.D),by Regional King(80A.D to 240A.D) Gupta Dynasty(240A.D to 640A.D), by Harshavardhana(600A.D to 650A.D) and Pala Dynasty (750A.D to 1200A.D). In Medieval Period, Bihar was under the dictatorship of Muhammad Ghori, Sher Shah Shuri, Akbar and then the Nawabs of Bengal. After the Battle of Buxar in 1765, Bihar came under the Diwani rights of British East India Company. All these have offered a matchless identity to Bihar cuisine.

Bihar cuisine offers several tasty morning foods which have their immense nutritional value, some of them are Sattu, considered as an appetizer, is taken with water and is served with pickle, onion and green chillies, is a common intake of the laboured class. Another preparation of Sattu is prepared with raisins, milk, cashew nuts and pista, a favorable drink of the elite. Other morning foods, prepared with Sattu are Parantha in which Sattu is mixed with spices and stuffed, and another one is Littis which come in large varieties, cooked with flour, ginger, garlic and pepper and served with chutney, curry or pickle. Among the popular as well as of high nutritional value food is Chokha which is a preparation made with mashed potatoes and other vegetables and are garnished with onion, chillies and mustard oil. Bachka is a fried food and it needs to slice the vegetables and fried in a chickpea batter to make these crispy fritters. Chura Dahi (flattened rice and curd), taken with sugar or jaggery, is a favourite breakfast among the people of Bihar. Kachori is prepared in various ways and are of different kinds like Baingan ka chokha , Sattu ki Kachori,Dal bhari and Thheekua can be named . Pitha and Bakha, steam cooked is mainly prepared in North Eastern Bihar. Makhana , mainly water fruit, is prepared from lotus seeds, with milk and sugar is must during religious festivals and marriages. It can also be cooked as a salty puff. Makhana or choora bhunja is paired with uncooked sprouts soaked in water and cherished by the locale.

Bihar Cuisine has several ramifications of veg and non veg foods. Most of the inhabitants of Bihar prefer to have vegetarian dishes which consist of rice, roti, lentils, pickle and tarkari, aloo chokha, kala chana ghoomni, chana dal ki kachree, subzi jhingi or nenua chana, kafta, shahi paneer, veg korma, palak paneer, bharwan karela etc. Bihar has a large number of Budhhists and Jains who consume a strict vegetarian diet and others prefer to have non veg foods. The Kayastha of Bihar likes to consume healthy but vegetarian dishes as their meal. The Maithil Brahmins follow a tradition to offer goat or meat as Prasad to God in many religious festivals. In Bihar, offering meat to a guest is considered as sacred as performing Dwadasah(twelfth day sacrifice). The Bihar cuisine has some special dishes among which Tilba, Chuda, Chitba, Pitthow and Makhana can be named. Biharis like to eat chhonkna (tadka) with panchforon(a mixture of five seeds- ajwain, saunf, sarson, methi and mangraila). Kadhi is preferred among the Biharis , eaten with plain rice. Dhuska is a deep fried, salted item prepared from a mixture of powdered rice and ghee but is one of the many dishes of Bihar.

Mughal dishes are preferred in Bihar and are mouth watering. Biryani , a Mughlai dish meaning "a dish of roasted meat and rice" is now enlisted in the Bihar cuisine. It also includes European flavours like Shahi Tukra , a type of French toast and Khichdi. Sikh Kabab, some of the Arabic foods like Keema(minced meat), Naahari(broth with chunks of meat cooked overnight), Murgh Musallam(Chicken delicacy)are delectable dishes of Bihar. Bihari Kebab, a kebab in which mutton is rolled, in a parotha or roti is a well praised dish of Bihar. Having a huge Muslim population, the touch of "Islamic culture and food" is observed in Bihar cuisine. Dishes like Shami Kabab, Bihari Kabab, Nargisi Kofta,Mutton Biriyani, Shabdeg, Yakhnee Biriyani are the luscious dishes of Bihar. During the holy month of Ramzan and Eid , Kebab, Sheer Maal, Zardah are prepared in most of the houses. A type of bread, Baqarkhani, has got the name from one of the Persian Governors, Baqar Khan, is a must during marriages. Bihar cuisine encompasses different types of bread and parathas such as Onion paratha, Potato paratha, Sattu paratha, Makai roti , Dal puri , Makuni etc. Jhal moori (puffed rice with sprouts, peanuts and green chillies) is one of the favorite snacks among the inhabitants of Bihar. Samosa and Kachoris are enjoyed as fast food all over Bihar.

Apart from the snacks, veg and non veg dishes, Bihar is well known for its affection towards desserts. Bihar offers a variety of dessert, available in charming tastes. Kheer which is known as Payasam, Lai, Pera are famous for their taste. Some of the sweets of Bihar are dry , among them Laktho, khaja, Anarasa, Khurma, Mootichur ka laddo, Kesariya Peda, Kala Jamun, Khubi ka lai, Parwal ka mithai, Tilkut, Chena Murki, Thekua, Belgrami are famed for their toothsome taste. The flavour of Khurma , Khubi k alai, Belgrami, Chena murki, Mal pua are epitome of luscious delight.

Bihar Cuisine includes the food habits of the aboriginal tribes who are the residents of Chotanagpur, the Southern half of Bihar. The tribes mainly take boiled cereals, a curry of boiled vegetables or meat or edible roots seasoned with salt and chillies and millet. Among the tribal specialties are Asur Pitha( prepared from the flour of Mahua) and Sauria Ghata which is cooked like rice with the crushed maize. Korwa Lata and Korwa Jatangi are also famous among the tribes. Asur Khichri is a preparation which needs to be cooked by adding mahua flour when the rice is half cooked .The tribes relish a beverage called Handia which is prepared by fermenting rice with the help of biro (a medicinal cake), partially cooked over fire in a handa(earthen cooking pot). Then it is cooked and mixed with powdered biro. Then the pot is kept in a cool place for some days and after a certain time the Handia gets ready to be distributed.