Lake Gardens: What about some sorshe salmon with bhaat for Sunday's Navavarsha lunch?

The Norwegian salmon is the star of the fishy fare on offer at all 13 Spencer's stores in the city in the run-up to the Bengali New Year.

The fish, rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, is popular among the health-conscious. It can be grilled, fried, steamed or given a desi twist with Bengal's favourite fiery mustard gravy.

Salmon, on trial sale at some Spencer's stores since November, has turned out to be a hit with the fish-loving Bengali. "It is quite popular. More than 70 per cent of the customers are Bengalis," said a Spencer's spokesperson.

The fish is being brought from Oslo. Packed with ice in Styrofoam boxes, each consignment is first flown to Mumbai and from there to Bengal. It takes around 15 hours. A kilo costs Rs 1,595.

Another star attraction at the South City Mall store on Friday was a 25kg katla from Gandhi Sagar reservoir in Madhya Pradesh. The big catch section also offers rohu, aar, boyal, chital and bekti.

"Fish and Bengalis are inseparable," said author Mani Shankar Mukherjee, aka Shankar, who is associated with the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group that owns Spencer's.

He remembered a time when youngsters would sing a couplet in class in the absence of teachers. " Likhibe poribe, moribe dukhe. Matsya dharibe, khaibe sukhe (Write and read, you will die in sorrow. Catch fish, you will eat happily)."

Besides Madhya Pradesh, fish is being procured from Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Hilsa from Myanmar is also available.

"The Calcutta bekti is the best bekti," said Mukherjee, going on to speak about Rai Bahadur Mohan Singh Oberoi, the founder of Oberoi Hotels and Resorts, and his love for the Calcutta bekti. "He gave standing instructions that bekti at all Oberoi hotels would have to come from New Market," he told Metro.

The small fish section at the stores includes sar puti, mourala, tangra, koi and parshe.