Hilsa is Bangladesh's national fish, prized across the world for its taste — and it is as good for the body as it is on the plate.

• Omega-3 fatty acids that lower the risk of heart disease, help control blood pressure and sharpen the brain.
• Cholesterol kept in check and circulation kept healthy.
• Omega-3 and vitamin E for smooth skin and against hair loss.
• Vitamins D and A and selenium for immunity.
• Calcium and phosphorus for bones and teeth.

• Shorshe ilish: steaks simmered in a paste of mustard seed, green chilli and turmeric, finished with mustard oil.
• Bhapa ilish: the same paste, the fish steamed in a covered pot or in banana leaf.
• Ilish bhaja: dusted with turmeric and salt and fried crisp in mustard oil, the oil poured over rice.
• Ilish polao: fried steaks laid over fragrant rice cooked in their own stock with onion and ghee.
• Doi ilish: braised in yoghurt with ginger and a little sugar.
• Panta ilish: fried hilsa with fermented rice, dried chilli, onion and lime — the breakfast of Pahela Baishakh.

Buy the fish in season, from July to October, when it is fattest; the bones are many, the reward is greater.

Photo: Hilsa, the national fish of Bangladesh — Biswarup Ganguly / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)