Hilsa from Bengal's royal homes finally gets to public tables in Kolkata

Perhaps the very first hilsa innovation, Ilish Macher Dum Polao can be attributed to the 17th century ancestors of Siddhartha Bahubalindra of the Moynagarh Rajbari

For people in the Bengal-Bangladesh belt, the subtle-flavoured, fine-boned ilish is akin to fish royalty. They often spend a small fortune on it — in Kolkata recently a 3 kg specimen sold for over Rs 15,000. The most prized variety is available only in the monsoon. The illustrious hilsa — its anglicised name — originates in the coastal waters of Myanmar and travels all the way to the mouth of the Ganga in West Bengal and rivers like the Padma and Meghna in Bangladesh to lay eggs in fresh water during the monsoon. Once ready to brave the harsh saltwater