It is hard to find anyone who does not like hilsa, and now is the time to eat it to your heart's content. Yet buying hilsa worries almost everyone. Many people cannot tell which fish is from the river and which from the sea, which is tastier, or which has roe.

Many believe there is a big difference in taste between river and sea hilsa, but all hilsa is tasty. The larger the fish, the better the taste; large hilsa are also called ripe hilsa. The hilsa sold in the monsoon are tastier still.

According to experts, hilsa taste best before they release their eggs, and fish carrying roe are comparatively less tasty. Even so, hilsa with roe are in greater demand, and many people go round the market looking for them.

The most likely time to find hilsa with roe is from after August, when the spawning season begins; it runs continuously until October. These days, though, hilsa are available in the market all year round.

A hilsa carrying roe usually has a somewhat thicker, raised belly and looks rather flat in shape. If you press its belly, roe will come out of the vent. Checking this way, you can easily buy a hilsa with roe.

Like the fish itself, hilsa roe is full of nutrients, from vitamins A and D to omega-3 fatty acids. Fish roe even helps raise haemoglobin in the blood.

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