Bengal is a delta and its food is built on river fish rather than sea fish. Hilsa — ilish — is the one that matters: an oily, bony, intensely flavoured fish that runs up the rivers in the monsoon. Whether Padma ilish from Bangladesh beats Ganga ilish from Bengal is a genuine and unresolved argument, and the price difference reflects it.
Bhetki is the everyday fish, used for fry and paturi. Chital, koi, pabda, tangra and parshe each have their own preparation. The bones are part of it and Bengalis eat around them without thinking.
South Kolkata
Bhowanipore · Kalighat · Gariahat · Ballygunge · Lake Market · Jadavpur · Tollygunge| Name | Where | What it is known for |
|---|---|---|
| 6 Ballygunge Place2003 | Ballygunge | Hilsa through the season, several preparations. |
| Kewpie’s Kitchen1991 | Elgin Lane | Household-style fish cooking. |
| Oh! Calcutta1996 | Elgin Road | Smoked hilsa and daab chingri. |
| Bhojohori Manna2003 | Ekdalia Road and city-wide | Plain, well-cooked fish at fair prices. |
| Gariahat fish market | Gariahat | Where South Kolkata buys its fish; mornings. |
| Lake Market fish section | Lake Market | The other South Kolkata fish market. |
North Kolkata
Shobhabazar · Shyambazar · Bagbazar · Hatibagan · Kumartuli · Jorasanko · Maniktala| Name | Where | What it is known for |
|---|---|---|
| Maniktala Market | Maniktala | One of the main fish markets in the north. |
| Hatibagan Market | Hatibagan | Fish, vegetables and everyday provisions. |
| Shyambazar fish stalls | Shyambazar | Neighbourhood fish trade. |
Central Kolkata
BBD Bagh · Esplanade · New Market · Park Street · College Street · Bowbazar · Burrabazar| Name | Where | What it is known for |
|---|---|---|
| Suruchi1960s | Elliot Road | Plain Bengali fish cooking. |
| Aaheli1994 | Peerless Inn, Esplanade | Hotel Bengali; hilsa in season. |
| New Market fish section1874 | New Market | The colonial-era market’s fish and meat halls. |
Howrah & the River
Howrah · Shibpur · Salkia · the Hooghly ghats| Name | Where | What it is known for |
|---|---|---|
| Howrah fish markets | Howrah | Wholesale river fish arriving from the delta. |
What to order
- Shorshe ilish in the monsoon, steamed in mustard. The season is roughly July to September.
- Ilish bhapa, and the mustard oil poured raw over the rice at the end
- Bhetki paturi, steamed in banana leaf
- Chingri malai curry — prawns in coconut milk, a wedding dish
- Daab chingri — prawns cooked and served in a green coconut
- Buy fish at Gariahat or Maniktala in the morning, not in the afternoon
Other kinds of eating
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