Hilsa

Tenualosa ilisha · ilish

The hilsa swims upstream and Bengal follows.

What it is

Hilsa is a silver, oily, richly-flavoured fish — a member of the herring and shad family — and the single most prized fish of Bengal. It is famously, ferociously bony, threaded with fine intramuscular bones, and Bengalis consider the trouble entirely worth it for the flesh.

Where it comes from

It lives in the Bay of Bengal and migrates upstream into the great rivers — the Padma, the Meghna, the Ganga — to spawn, chiefly in the monsoon, and it is that run that Bengal waits for each year. It is the national fish of Bangladesh; the Padma hilsa is legendary.

What it's called

Hilsa · ilish (Bengali). Botanically Tenualosa ilisha.

In the kitchen

Cooked simply so the oily flesh speaks — steamed in mustard paste (shorshe ilish), in a light jhol, fried, or with its own oil rendered over rice. The bones are managed, not removed; the fat is the reward. It is festival food and everyday longing both.

What we know about the claims

As an oily fish, hilsa is rich in omega-3 fats — a genuine nutritional plus of oily fish generally. The honest cautions are the bones (a real hazard, eaten with care) and sustainability: hilsa stocks are under pressure, so sourcing matters.

Choosing and buying

Fresh hilsa is hard to find outside Bengali communities; UK and US South Asian grocers (Southall, Green Street; Patel Brothers, H-Mart) sell it frozen. Where unavailable, mackerel — similarly oily and assertive — is the closest substitute; not salmon.