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Tenualosa Ilisha

The Hilsa (Tenualosa ilisha) also known as the ilishi, ilish, hilsa herring or hilsa shad, is a species of fish related to the herring, in the family Clupeidae. It is a very popular and sought-after food fish in the Indian subcontinent and is the national fish of Bangladesh and the state fish of West Bengal. The famous Hilsha fish comes from the Padma River (the main distributary of the Ganges), in Bangladesh. As of 2021, 86% of the world's total ilish supply originates in Bangladesh which contributes about 12% of the total fish production and about 1.15% of GDP in Bangladesh. Deep-fried in hilsa is a pure Bengali delicacy and one of the most popular in West Bengal and Bangladesh. Ilish mach itself has a unique flavour and it's a fatty fish. When the hilsa fish pieces are fried in smoky hot mustard oil, it releases some fat and flavors up the pungent mustard oil with the mighty flavor of hilsa. Few people prefer to fry some red chilies in this oil and take it as a side with rice instead of green chilies. ''Tel jhol' is the name given to a light Bengali curry with hilsa, which is infused with flavors of kaalo jeera, green chilies, and sharp mustard oil. Ilish or hilsa fish is, however, facing extinction due to high demand and overfishing. While policy initiatives between India and Bangladesh are underway to tackle this alarming situation (hilsa conservation depends a great deal on water flow in the Padma-Meghna and Hooghly-Bhagirathi river systems). This photo was taken at Tehatta, West Bengal; India on 15/08/2023. (Photo by Soumyabrata Roy/NurPhoto)

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