For Bengalis, the monsoon means hilsa on the plate, and fried hilsa or hilsa curry with rice is almost part of the season. But when supply falls short of demand, prices rise and some dishonest traders take advantage. Because they look much alike, sardines or chandana fish are sometimes sold as hilsa. Paying attention to a few things when buying can help tell the real fish from the fake.

First look at the shape of the body. A hilsa's belly and back usually curve in balance, and the whole fish looks rather like a weaver's shuttle. A belly that bulges a lot or curves abnormally to one side does not match the normal shape of a hilsa.

The belly of a sardine or chandana curves more, and the body shape is different. So do not buy a fish just for its silver colour; look over the whole body carefully.

Size can also help. Sardine-type fish are usually small, so a small silver fish in the market should not be assumed to be hilsa. An adult hilsa can be much larger, with a long, well-formed body. Sardines or chandana usually grow to 6 to 20 centimetres, while an adult hilsa can reach about 75 centimetres.

Hilsa has a distinctive smell. Fresh hilsa usually has the mild smell familiar from river fish. Be careful if a fish has no smell at all or an unusual one. Sardines and chandana do not smell like hilsa, so if possible smell the fish up close before buying.

Look carefully at the fins and tail. A hilsa's fins and tail usually look clean and bright, while some lookalike fish have fins or tails of a different colour and shape. Hold the fish and compare the shape of the tail and fins, not just the colour of the scales.

A real hilsa is not necessarily a fresh one, so check freshness as well. Fresh fish is usually firm and should not feel very soft or limp in the hand. If the head or tail droops abnormally, the body feels too soft or the eyes look cloudy, the fish is probably stale and best not bought.

A shiny silver body alone does not make a fish a hilsa. Check body shape, size, smell, fins, tail and freshness together. Taking a little time to look the fish over can greatly reduce the risk of being cheated.

The report drew on News18 and other sources.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.