Fresh fish makes all the difference in a jhol or a bhapa. Our fish arrives at the branches every morning; here is how we check it, so you can too.

The quick checklist

• Eyes: clear and bright, not cloudy or sunken.
• Gills: bright red or pink, never brown.
• Skin: shiny, with scales that hold on.
• Flesh: press it lightly — it should spring back.
• Smell: fresh like the river or the sea, not sour.

Storing it at home

Clean the fish on the day you get it. Keep it in the coldest part of the fridge and cook it within a day, or cut it into pieces and freeze it in small boxes, one meal per box.

Hilsa tip: do not wash hilsa pieces too much after cutting; you lose the oil that gives the taste.