Do you know about ilish or Hilsa?
The Ilish, also famous as Hilsa, is a popular food amongst the people of South Asia especially with Bengalis. It is the national fish of Bangladesh. Bengali fish curry is a popular dish made with mustard oil or seed. It is also popular in India, especially West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Southern Gujarat and in North East and it is also exported globally.
In Bangladesh, Hilsa is sourced from the Padma-Meghna-Jamuna delta, which flows into the Bay of Bengal and Meghna (lower Brahmaputra), and Jamuna rivers and in India, the Rupnarayan, Ganges, Mahanadi, Chilka Lake, Narmada and Godavari rivers are famous for Hilsa fishing.
The freshwater fish are considered to be tastier than other variant . The fish has very sharp and tough bones, and might cause difficulty when eating for some.
In Bengal, ilish or Hilsa may be smoked, fried, baked in young plantain leaves, prepared with mustard seed paste, curd, eggplant . It is said that people can cook ilish in more than 50 ways. Ilish roe is also popular as a side dish. Ilish can be cooked in very little oil since the fish itself is laden with natural oils.
Benefits of Ilish or Hilsa
I have shared some importance benefits of Ilish eating.
- Ilish or Hilsa is an oily fish rich in omega 3 fatty acids. Recent experiments have shown its beneficial effects in decreasing cholesterol and insulin level.
- Blood Circulation
- Increased Zinc level (help for COVID)
- Arthritis
- Beneficial for the heart
- Help people suffering from depression
- Skin care
- Stomach care
A delicacy and tasty in its own right, the Hilsa holds great cultural and culinary import and holds a large fan-following nation-wide. Once you taste it, rest assured you’d never turn back. Such is the appeal of the enticing Hilsa.
To know more click here
Also read our following article