The Hindu : Kerala News : Flavours of Bengal

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Friday, Jul 20, 2007
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Kerala

Flavours of Bengal

Like Malayalis, Bengalis too are fond of fish. The flavour of the dish changes from region to region in West Bengal and some with a sugary taste might not appeal to the Malayali’s taste buds.

There are thousands of Bengalis working in Kochi and its suburbs — many of them in the construction sector. Thousands of miles away from home, one of the things the Bengali labourers miss is fish, particularly the inland freshwater variety and t hose caught from ponds, tanks and paddy fields.

Many homes in rural West Bengal have their own ponds which used to ensure a steady supply of fish. Bengali labourers say they do not enjoy the dishes available in restaurants in the city. Their main grouse is that freshwater fish is not easily available in Kochi. They are forced to make do with the backwater variety such as the pearl spot (‘karimeen’) which is expensive.

Their alternative: fish for yourself. The labourers love to spend their spare time fishing in the backwaters of Kochi.

The men go fishing late in the afternoons after work and also on weekends. They use simple methods to catch fish such as ‘nets’ made of worn-out cloth and fish in groups.

They catch enough fish for a meal and cook it the way they do back home in West Bengal. Fishing gives the poor men, eking a living in an alien land, some respite from homesickness.

K.P.M. Basheer

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