SILVER LINING: A consignment of hilsa arrives at the Howrah fish market. Picture by Sanat Kumar Sinha

The rainy season is months away but hilsa is already on the plate. A bumper supply from Bangladesh has ensured that the city can savour the monsoon delicacy in winter, too.

The gourmets are not complaining. “When my fish-seller offered me hilsa last Sunday, I was pleasantly surprised. The fish looked as rounded and shiny as it does in monsoon. It’s a double bonanza: hilsa in February and that, too, without burning a hole in your pocket,” says Joydeep Basu, a retired CTC employee from Rashbehari Avenue.

The wholesalers are surprised by the supply of hilsa at this time of the year — and also the demand, which has gone up because of the bird flu scare.

On an average, more than 35 metric tonnes of hilsa are exported daily to the wholesale markets in Howrah and Sealdah from places like Barisal, Chandpur and Patharghata, in Bangladesh. The number doubles on weekends.

“Good hilsa is available only in monsoon. This is the first time it is available in winter, too. Even the authorities in Bangladesh are surprised by the hilsa harvest this season,” says Syed Anwar Maqsood, the secretary of the Fish Importers’ Association in Howrah.

In the wholesale market, hilsa is selling between Rs 140 and Rs 180 per kg, depending on the size of the fish. In the retail market, the rate is between Rs 225 and Rs 275.

During peak season last year, hilsa supply from Bangladesh dried up after a ban on export. The consumers had to be satisfied with the local variety of the fish, which does not taste as good. The bar was lifted on January 9 this year. Since then, there has been a steady supply of the fish to Calcutta markets.

“The more rounded and shining the fish is, the better it tastes. Hilsa is at its best in monsoon. This time, we are getting the same quality in winter,” said Maqsood.

The sellers are not sure whether the supply will continue. “If the supply of hilsa from Bangladesh is disrupted, consumers will be left with the local variety of the fish, which is inferior in quality,” says a seller.