Gourami is a fish belonging to the family
Osphromenidae, celebrated for its fine flavor. Its original home is the rivers and streams of the East Indian Archipelago. The gourami,
Osphromenus olfax, has an oblong, oval body of a greenish brown color, banded by dark, vertical stripes in the immature fish. Though generally about two feet in length, it sometimes attains a length of six feet. The average weight is 12 or 14 pounds. The gourami builds a nest of grass and roots attached to aquatic plants and is assiduous in the care of its young. It is omnivorous in diet and extremely tenacious of life. Attempts have been made to introduce this fish into France but they have not been very successful. It is a highly valued article of food in the East Indies.
