Great story that gives us an insight of the cultural divide in Bengal ( the 'amra-ora' [ 'us' and 'them] psychology)! Must say that I, in spite of a true-blue Bangal, am not exactly enamoured of the shutki, in fact, I am shutkiphobic! One interesting fish that you mentioned but did not elaborate is the loitta (lote). Though this has also got a very distinct smell , I have found certain people from both sides of the cultural-geographical divide relishing it. I am no exception. I remember Sunil Gangopadhyay, the eminent writer and perhaps the most searching analyst of the Bangal psyche in contemporary Bengali literature, once said that after independence, almost everyone was averse to eating this fish which resembled filthy dumplings. Originally it was used to feed chicken. But it was later discovered that once cooked with onion and garlic, it tasted heavenly, almost like meat and thus has later acquired cult status among its followers, Of course, for me nothing comes close to HILSA... (with apologies to the connoisseurs of Chingri( prawns ) and alu-posto
Very interesting to read. This reminds me of the Bengali aunties in my neighbourhood. Having finished their daily morning chores, the first thing they would ask each other is 'aajke ki ranna hoyeche?' (What have you cooked today?). Bongs love their food, don't they?
@munna219777: There you have it: And there: And again: There are numerous recipes available on the net, also some videos demonstrating how to cook it. Not posting any of them, lest this thread becomes too 'fishy' ( though perhaps not as 'fishy' as what is happening in Indian football at present)
@namewtheld: You are spot on, mate. Not only do we love our food, particularly fishes, we spend a lot of time expatiating and criticizing on the cooking style, the nuances of a dish etc. By the way, I am afraid that the Bengali aunties that you speak of will soon be extinct and will be replaced by another set of aunties and didis and boudis who would prefer to go to a cushy restaurant and gorge on burgers and momos. Not that I have anything against such food nor do I imply even for a moment that women should be cooped in kitchens, but I believe in Mahatma Gandhi's observation:
"I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the culture of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any”.
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One interesting fish that you mentioned but did not elaborate is the loitta (lote). Though this has also got a very distinct smell , I have found certain people from both sides of the cultural-geographical divide relishing it. I am no exception. I remember Sunil Gangopadhyay, the eminent writer and perhaps the most searching analyst of the Bangal psyche in contemporary Bengali literature, once said that after independence, almost everyone was averse to eating this fish which resembled filthy dumplings. Originally it was used to feed chicken. But it was later discovered that once cooked with onion and garlic, it tasted heavenly, almost like meat and thus has later acquired cult status among its followers, Of course, for me nothing comes close to HILSA...
(with apologies to the connoisseurs of Chingri( prawns ) and alu-posto
You can't do favouritism as far as great cuisines are concerned.
http://www.goheels.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=210675341&DB_OEM_ID=3350
And there:
And again:
There are numerous recipes available on the net, also some videos demonstrating how to cook it. Not posting any of them, lest this thread becomes too 'fishy' ( though perhaps not as 'fishy' as what is happening in Indian football at present)
"I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the culture of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any”.
Sorry for the pontification