Ilish is a popular fish in the Indian subcontinent, particularly among Bengalis and Oriyas. It is the national fish of Bangladesh. Ilish lives in the sea but migrates inland up to 1,200 km to spawn in large rivers. It is caught from rivers before swimming back to sea, and is considered tastier than those caught at sea. Ilish plays an important role in the culture and cuisine of Bengal and Orissa, often featured in religious ceremonies and prepared in over 50 ways, including smoked, fried, and steamed.

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Ilish
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Navigation This article contains weasel words: vague phrasing that often Ilish
accompanies biased or unverifiable information. Such statements
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should be clarified or removed. (June 2011)
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Featured content Ilish (Bengali: ইিলশ Ilish Oriya: ଇଲିଶି Ilishii Sindhī: ‫ ﭘﻠﻭ ﻣﮀﻲ‬Pallu Machhi Telugu: ప లస Pulasa or
Current events Polasa), also spelled Elish, is a popular fish to eat among the people of the sub-continent. A tropical
Random article fish, it is the most popular fish with Bengalis and Oriyas, the national fish of Bangladesh and
Donate to Wikipedia extremely popular in parts of India such as West Bengal, Orissa, Tripura, Assam and Southern
Gujarat. Ilish also can be found in India's Assamese-, Bengali-, Oriya- and Telugu-speaking regions
and in Pakistan's Sindh province. In Gujarat it is known as either Modenn or Palva.
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Each year a large number of fish are caught in the Padma-Meghna-Jamuna delta, which flows into the
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Bay of Bengal. It is a sea fish but it lay eggs in large rivers. After being born the young Ilish (known as
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Jatka) then swim back to the sea. They are caught before they swim to the sea. Ilish is also caught
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from the sea. However, those caught from the sea are not considered to be as tasty as those caught
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from the river. The fish is full of tiny bones which require trained eating/hands to handle.
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In Southern Gujarat, Bharuch located on the banks of river Narmada is famous for this fish. The fish
Scientific classification
from Bharuch is in huge demand in Mumbai and is even exported to many foreign countries. The fish in
Toolbox Kingdom: Animalia
coastal area of Gujarat is known as Modenn if it is female and Palva if it is young male.
What links here As it is anadromous in nature (an uncommon phenomenon in tropical waters), the Ilish lives in the sea Phylum: Chordata
Related changes for most of its life, but migrates up to 1,200 km inland through rivers in the Indian sub-continent for Class: Actinopterygii
Upload file spawning. Distances of 50–100 km are usually normal in the Bangladesh rivers. Order: Clupeiformes
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In Bangladesh, Ilish is mainly caught in the Padma (lower Ganges), Meghna (lower Brahmaputra), and Family: Clupeidae
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Jamuna rivers. Those from the Padma are considered to be the best in taste. In India, the Rupnarayan Subfamily: Alosinae
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(which has the Kolaghater Ilish), Ganges, Mahanadi,[1]Chilka Lake,[2] Narmada and Godavari rivers are
Cite this page Genus: Tenualosa
famous for their tasty breeds. Ilish is also found in the deltaic region of southern Pakistan, in the
province of Sindh. Here it is commonly referred to as the Palla fish. The fish was usually found in Species: T. ilisha
Print/export abundant quantities in the district of Thatta. Recently, however, the lower reaches of the Indus have Binomial name
Create a book dried up as water is stored upstream, and the Palla cannot make its journey into the river any more. Tenualosa ilisha
(F. Hamilton, 1822)
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1 As food
2 Ilish in culture
Languages 3 See also
4 References
বাংলা
5 External links
‫ﻓﺎﺭﺳﯽ‬
Français
ह द
As food [edit]
িব ি য়া মিণপুরী
ু
Ilish is an oily fish rich in essential fatty acids(omega 3 fatty acids). Recent experiments have shown its
Italiano
beneficial effects in decreasing cholesterol level in rats[3] and insulin level.[4]
नेपाल भाषा
In Bengal, ilish can be smoked, fried, steamed, baked in young plantain leaves, prepared with mustard seed
ไทย
paste, curd, Begun (eggplant), different condiments like jira and so on. It is said that people can cook ilish in
Tiếng Việt
more than 50 ways. Ilish roe is also popular as a side dish. Ilish can be cooked in very little oil since the fish
‫ﺍﻟﻌﺭﺑﻳﺔ‬
itself is very oily.
In North America (where Ilish is not always readily available) the shad fish is sometimes used as an Ilish
substitute, especially in Bengali cuisine. This typically occurs near the East coast of North America, where Panta Ilish - a traditional platter of
fresh shad can be fished. The substitution is possible because of the fairly similar flavour and consistency of congee with fried Ilish slice,
these two fish. supplemented with dried fish
(Shutki), pickles (Achar), dal, green
chillies and onion - is a popular
Ilish in culture [edit]
serving for the Pohela Boishakh
festival.
In many Bengali Hindu families two Ilish fishes (Joda Ilish) are bought on special auspicious days, like
some pujas. It is considered auspicious to buy two Ilish fishes on the day of Saraswati Puja (The Goddess
of Learning and Beauty), which takes place in the beginning of Spring and also on the day of Lakshmi Puja
(The Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity) which takes place in autumn. But this custom is prevalent mainly
among the Bengali Hindus of former East Bengal many of whom now live in West Bengal, Barak Valley in
Assam and Tripura in India after the Partition of India. Some of them give Ilish fish as an offering to the
goddess Lakshmi, without which the Puja is sometimes thought to be incomplete.
In Orissa there is a popular saying that "Machha khaaiba Ilishii,chakiri kariba polisi",means eating Ilish and
getting a job in Police department are of equal status.
Ilishi maachha curry with ginger
See also [edit] mustard garlic paste in tomato
seasoning in Orissa style in Oriya
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2. Bengali cuisine cuisine.
List of fish in Bangladesh
Oily fish
References [edit]
1. ^ http://www.biosearch.in/publicOrganismPage.php?id=113036
2. ^ http://www.worldlakes.org/uploads/Chilika_10.22.03.pdf page number 19-20
3. ^ Banerjee I, Saha S, Dutta J (June 1992). "Comparison of the effects of dietary fish oils with different n-3 polyunsaturated
fatty acid compositions on plasma and liver lipids in rats". Lipids 27 (6): 425–8. doi:10.1007/BF02536383 .
Shorshe Ilish, a
PMID 1630277 .
dish of smoked ilish
4. ^ Mahmud I, Hossain A, Hossain S, Hannan A, Ali L, Hashimoto M (2004). "Effects of Hilsa ilisa fish oil on the atherogenic with mustard
lipid profile and glycaemic status of streptozotocin-treated type 1 diabetic rats" . Clin. Exp. Pharmacol. Physiol. 31 (1-2): seeds, has been
76–81. PMID 14756688 . an important part of
Bengali cuisine.
External links [edit]
Illish Recipe
"Tenualosa ilisha" . Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 6 June 2006.
Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2005). "Tenualosa ilisha" in FishBase. November 2005 version.
Ilish
More details
exotic Hilsa recipes
Ilish Recipes at What An Indian Recipe
V TE Principal commercial fishery species groups
Mackerel Salmon Shark Swordfish Tuna albacore bigeye Atlantic bluefin Pacific bluefin
Large pelagic fish
southern bluefin skipjack yellowfin
Forage fish Anchovy Capelin Herring Ilish Menhaden Sardines Shad
Catfish Cod Atlantic Pacific Flatfish flounder halibut plaice sole turbot Haddock Mullet Orange roughy
Demersal fish
Pollock Smelt-whitings Toothfish
Wild Freshwater fish Carp Sturgeon Tilapia Trout
Other wild fish Eel Whitebait more...
Crustaceans Crab Krill Lobster Shrimp more...
Molluscs Abalone Mussels Octopus Oysters Scallops Squid more...
Echinoderms Sea cucumbers Sea urchin more...
Carp bighead common crucian grass silver Catfish Freshwater prawns Mussels Oysters Salmon Atlantic salmon trout coho
Farmed
chinook Scallops Seaweed Shrimp Tilapia
Commercial fishing World fish production Fishing topics Fisheries glossary
Categories: Clupeidae Animals described in 1822 Andhra cuisine Oriya cuisine Bengali cuisine Fish of Bangladesh
National symbols of Bangladesh Edible fish Commercial fish
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