Vanishing hilsa and price we’re paying

It was my friend's birthday, and I forgot to wish him. As penance, I treated him to a hilsa dinner.

The lightest of untoasted shona moong lentil soup, with loads of julienne ginger and cumin tempered in ghee, sides of aubergine and pointed gourd fritters, potato mash seasoned with roasted dry red chilli and mustard oil, and piping hot Kataribhog steamed rice.

Of course, the highlight of the menu was the lightly fried hilsa steaks in mustard oil, served with onions and dry chilli deep-fried in ilish oil, and slices of Kagoji lebu.

What a grand, and expensive, way of saying sorry. Hilsa this season can cost you an arm and a leg, but for a dear friend, it is worth the missing limbs.

For a Bangalee, hilsa is festival food. It is a special dish prepared for loved ones, and soul food too. A simple fish fry can lift your spirits when you are low. But why is hilsa so elusive this year, and why does it cost a fortune?

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

"In the previous hilsa season, we saw a supply of 10,000 tonnes, whereas this year the supply so far is around only 2,000 tonnes," says Muhammad Bachu Miah, a seasoned fishmonger who has been in business for 30 years. He procures the fish from New Market and sells to regular clients. Bachu says he normally earns a profit of Tk 7-8 lakh from hilsa sales each season, but this year the figure is around Tk 2 lakh.

Hilsa season continues till Kartik in the Bangla calendar, but this year storms and heavy rains during the full moon of Bhadra lowered water flow in the rivers, disrupting fish migration. This adverse weather, coupled with overfishing of young hilsa, has hit the catch badly, he explains.

Shahana Huda Ronjona, owner of catering service Bistro on the Go, says seasonal sellers who once hawked hilsa pairs or quartets are no longer seen.

"I used to buy from my fishmonger Chan Miah and from random sellers for Tk 1,700 per kg. Last week, I paid Tk 4,000 for a one-and-a-half-kilo hilsa. Customers who order hilsa polao, hilsa in mustard sauce, or steaks wrapped in banana leaves are now very few," she says.

Photo:Star

She charges Tk 750 for hilsa polao and Tk 500 for other dishes.

A friend of mine was disappointed when "Koshturi," a reputed restaurant for local cuisine, told her they were not serving ilish this season.

So how do you know which fish is worth the high price? Always look for hilsa from the Padma, prized for their taste and broad size.

An adult can reach 60 cm and weigh 2.5 kilogrammes. The rich, oily flesh and marbled fat give it a distinct scent that sets it apart.

"You can smell the fish frying in mustard oil from your staircase, that's the one to look out for. The Chandana hilsa from the ocean is narrow, dry and without the unique hilsa smell," says Chan Miah.

Climate change and the netting of jatkas have worsened matters. Will Bengalis be deprived of chewing on the hilsa head this puja? Will Durga be greeted with carp or ayer instead?

For now, prices of Tk 3,000 to Tk 4,000 for a one to one-and-a-half-kilo fish seem unfair, but inevitable.