For the love of ilish pulao

“It is unthinkable that the Bangladeshis will not evolve the pulao, a cuisine they adopted, by adding fish." - Shawkat Osman

The opinion above sums up our love for ilish pulao (ilish means hilsa; pulao means pilaf: the name translates to hilsa pilaf in English).

To understand our fascination with this dish, one must first understand its context. To describe the choice of staples and the eating habits of Bangladeshis, the widespread phrase, "macche bhaat e Bangali", -- loosely translated to "fish and rice makes a Bengali" -- comes handy.

Shawkat Osman, in his book Recipes from the Rannaghor, wrote, "A large number of rivers and abundant rainfall on the deltaic plain of Bangladesh is ideal for the fish and rice farming… hundreds of species of fish are available… These factors have, through the ages, made rice and fish the chief diet of the people."

Hilsa is the national fish of Bangladesh. Our love for it has been embedded in our genes. Eating hilsa has become an integral part of the menu in festivities. Hosts serve hilsa with great fervour to entertain their guests.
The enthusiasm does not end there. Mawa Ghat is one of the places - quite near to Dhaka - where you get fresh hilsa. "If you are a die-hard enthusiast, you must go there at dawn to buy hilsa fresh from the river," says Asif Aziz, a businessman in his mid-thirties.

Hilsa experiences and memories are plenty. Nondini - a college professor who gets nostalgic every time she eats hilsa - shared her feelings for an article published in Star Lifestyle.  "Long time ago, back in Comilla, there was this marketplace called Rajgonjo Bazaar. Whenever the price of ilish fell, a man used to beat a drum through the whole neighbourhood and inform everyone about it. Even today, when I have hilsa, I hear the drum, and feel the happiness associated with it."

Among the numerous recipes of hilsa, one of the most popular is ilish pulao.
In Bangladesh - along with many parts of the world - pilaf is widely consumed. Pilaf with meat is common all across, including in our country.

But Bengalis, given their love for hilsa, use all gastronomic skills they have to make recipes with this fish.
As ilish pulao reaches your dining table, the distinct and strong aroma enraptures you. Often, the pieces of the fish will be laid at the top of the heap of pilaf, with 'beresta' (caramelised onions) sprinkled on the surface. This sight and smell, for a Bengali, are a promise of the delights to come.
The stimulating aroma is soon to be followed by its complementary taste.

The deliciousness, some people enthusiastically argue, depends highly on from where the hilsa was caught. "The taste hilsa of Padma River is the best, because the nutrients there are superior", many opine.
Theories, thoughts and tales - that is what ilish and its magical pulao never fail to bring.