Where and
how one source, cooks, and devours hilsa, the fish beloved across the Indian
subcontinent, conveys a lot about one’s Bengali roots. In the 1947 Indian
Partition, Bengal was divided along religious lines, and Muslims fled to East
Bengal, while a majority-Hindu population stayed in West Bengal (an Indian
state). Later, in 1971, East Bengal became the independent nation of
Bangladesh.
Mere months later, the Indian parliament officially passed the Citizenship Amendment Act, legally excluding Muslim immigrants from Indian citizenship, while favoring Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christian immigrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. The future for Muslims, especially Bengali Muslims remains uncertain.
Bengalis
divide into two major groups: Bangal and Ghoti. “Bangal” refers to Bengalis
from East Bengal, while “Ghoti” refers to those native to West Bengal. Perhaps
surprisingly, the Bangal-Ghoti divide is largely innocuous amongst Bengalis,
sparking fun debates such as how hilsa—a fish adored across the Indian
subcontinent, but particularly in Bengal—should be prepared. If you also want
to savor a history-rich food then get Fresh fish home delivery Delhi.
East
Bengalis love Poddar ilish ("ilish" is another name for hilsa) that’s
been sourced from the Padma River. East Bengal jhol, or fish curry, is heavily
spiced with ginger, garlic, and cumin. In the West, Bengalis argue that the
fish caught in the Ganges, however, tastes better. Unlike their eastern
counterparts, they prefer mildly spiced, sweeter curries. This fish is not just
limited to Bengalis now you can get hilsa
fish home delivery online in Delhi
“It’s not
common to man's food. You cannot eat it every day,”, devour the thick, creamy
fish curry with rice. Also the mark of a good catch? “The more bones hilsa has,
the tastier it is,” it is believed when preparing this fish. Now you can
prepare fish at home too, get rohu fish
online home delivery in Delhi.
But, the
divide between Bengali Muslims and Hindus is much more defined, even violent in
present-day India. While there’s not a history of inter-regional conflict in
Bengal, religious tensions came to a head all over India last August, when the
government’s National Register of Citizens excluded 1.9 million citizens of
Assam from Indian citizenship—most of them Bengali Muslims.
Mere months later, the Indian parliament officially passed the Citizenship Amendment Act, legally excluding Muslim immigrants from Indian citizenship, while favoring Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christian immigrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. The future for Muslims, especially Bengali Muslims remains uncertain.
Despite this
political unrest, hilsa somehow continues to be a lasting symbol of connection
and shared humanity in Bengal and Bengali
Fresh Fish seems to dilute it. There are several restaurants that fry
hilsa in mustard oil for their customers in Guwahati. In Bangalore, some
restaurants steam the delicate fish in a wonderfully thick, creamy mustard
gravy. Across the border in Bangladesh, people recreate the fried ilish roe of
her childhood. A devotion that existed long before the delineation and shifting
of geopolitical boundaries, hilsa remains the love affair of all
Bengalis—religious and cultural tensions withstanding. Now you can also fry and
steam your fish at home by getting Bengali
Special Fresh Fishfresh fish online Delhi.
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