What is special about hilsa migration?

It swims from the sea up rivers to spawn

Young hilsa protected by fishing bans

What is hilsa diplomacy?

Gifting or exporting hilsa to India as goodwill

Hilsa Fish Quiz: Bangladesh's Beloved Ilish Dishes

Bengalis argue whether the best ilish comes from the Padma or the Ganges, and this hilsa fish quiz explains why the bony fish inspires such passion. Play an interactive set of 10 questions on shorshe ilish, bhapa ilish, panta ilish at Pohela Boishakh, river migration, fishing bans to protect young jatka, hilsa diplomacy and the 2017 geographical indication.

Start Hilsa Fish Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Status
Hilsa is the national fish of which country?
Name
What is hilsa called in Bengali?
River
Which Bangladeshi river is famous for prized hilsa?
Migration
What is special about hilsa migration?
Mustard
What is shorshe ilish cooked with?
Steamed
What is bhapa ilish?
New year
With which dish is hilsa traditionally eaten on Pohela Boishakh?
Jatka
What are jatka?
Diplomacy
What is hilsa diplomacy?
Bones
What is a common challenge when eating hilsa?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Hilsa is the national fish of which country?
Answer: Bangladesh
It is central to Bengali cuisine.
Q2: What is hilsa called in Bengali?
Answer: Ilish
It is also spelled ilish or elish.
Q3: Which Bangladeshi river is famous for prized hilsa?
Answer: The Padma
The Padma is the Ganges in Bangladesh.
Q4: What is special about hilsa migration?
Answer: It swims from the sea up rivers to spawn
It is anadromous.
Q5: What is shorshe ilish cooked with?
Answer: Mustard paste
Mustard oil adds sharpness.
Q6: What is bhapa ilish?
Answer: Hilsa steamed with mustard
It is often cooked in banana leaves.
Q7: With which dish is hilsa traditionally eaten on Pohela Boishakh?
Answer: Panta bhat, fermented rice
The pairing is called panta ilish.
Q8: What are jatka?
Answer: Young hilsa protected by fishing bans
Bans help stocks recover.
Q9: What is hilsa diplomacy?
Answer: Gifting or exporting hilsa to India as goodwill
Exports often rise before Durga Puja.
Q10: What is a common challenge when eating hilsa?
Answer: It has many fine bones
Eaters learn to separate them.

Hilsa Fish Quiz – Bangladesh's Beloved Ilish

Hilsa, or ilish, is the national fish of Bangladesh, which catches most of the world's supply. It is an oily, flavorful fish that migrates from the Bay of Bengal up rivers such as the Padma to spawn.

Classic dishes include shorshe ilish, cooked with mustard paste, and bhapa ilish, steamed with mustard, sometimes in banana leaves. On Pohela Boishakh, the Bengali new year, many eat panta ilish with fermented rice.

Fishing bans protect young hilsa, called jatka, and breeding fish. Bangladesh received a geographical indication for hilsa in 2017, and hilsa gifts to India before Durga Puja are known as hilsa diplomacy.

What This Quiz Teaches

Food lovers will enjoy these questions.

Why hilsa matters
Where it lives
How it is cooked
Which festivals feature it
How stocks are protected

Did You Know?

Hilsa roe is a delicacy.
Mustard oil is common in ilish recipes.
West Bengal cooks debate Padma versus Ganga ilish.
Monsoon season brings the biggest catches.
Hilsa is rich in omega-3 fatty acids.