South 24 Parganas, West Bengal

Sundarban Tiger Prawn (Bagda Chingri)

Black tiger prawn whose wild seedlings (meendha) are hand-collected by women across the remote blocks of the Sundarbans, the foundation stock of West Bengal's shrimp export industry. The estuary acts as a natural nursery, and the prawns are celebrated in Bengali cuisine (bagda curry, shorshe chingri, festive grills). They are sold whole shell-on or headless in fresh and frozen grades, with West Bengal among India's largest shrimp exporters. Buyers should look for large-size lots (25-30 pcs/kg) with bright shells, available at around 400-500 per kg in Kolkata fish markets.

Typical price: ₹400-700 per kg

Buying tip: Prefer whole shell-on prawns for bagda dishes and check shell brightness and size count per kg; frozen export-grade stock is widely available year-round.