Roadside pitha shops abuzz as winter sets in

Seasonal pitha stalls have started to emerge at many corners of Khulna city as winter slowly creeps in.

Pitha is a traditional dish across the country, and it is made in many forms throughout the year. However, the best time of the year to prepare and enjoy different varieties of delicious pitha is the winter.

Taking advantage of the locals’ craving for pitha, vendors in and around the city have set up their small stalls to sell various types of this favoured food. Chitoi, bhapa, kuli, oil-fried panpitha among many other varieties can be found in these makeshift shops.

Bhapa pitha made with jaggery and coconut shavings and chitoi pitha are in high demand among customers.

Along with satisfying the foodies, the seasonal business brings financial prosperity to the vendors. However, the sellers said they are making less profit than before due to the increase in the price of pitha-making materials.

There are about three-four temporary pitha stalls at each intersection and alley of Khulna city. Some vendors sell various types of pitha while some specialise in only one type.

Depending on the type, each pitha sells for Tk 5-10. Some foodies eat chitoi pitha with molasses and some enjoy it with mustard, black cumin or coriander leaves paste.

Masum, 15, is a helper at one such pitha stall in the Moylapota intersection of the city. He came to assist his uncle with the stall from Kurigram.

“We sell bhapa pitha from 4pm to 11pm every day. About 150-170 pieces are sold per day for Tk 10 per piece,” he said.

A customer named Milon enjoys eating pitha from street vendors every year in winter. “It is cheap and I enjoy hot foods in winter evenings,” he said.

Amena, 55, has been selling pitha at Banorgati Bazar Mosque intersection every winter for the past five years. She sells oil-fried pitha and other snacks for the rest of the year. But during late autumn and winter, the demand for chitoi pitha increases tenfold.

“I sell about Tk 1,300-1,400 worth of pitha every day, and the sales will increase in the upcoming days. My chilli, olives, mustard and coriander leaves mixture paste is very popular among the customers who enjoy chitoi pitha,” she said.

Amena further said her husband is a day labourer and she started her business after her daughter had a stroke and became sick. While they can hardly bear the cost of their daughter’s treatment further, her income helps run the household expenses.

Another vendor, Abu Bakar, 32, of Rupsha Bus Stand area, said he has been selling seasonal pitha since childhood with his mother. This year they started selling pitha a week ago. They sell pitha worth Tk 1,500-1,600 per day.

“We are making less profit this year since daily commodity prices have increased but the price of pitha has not. However, I am hopeful sales will increase in the upcoming days,” he said.

Other vendors Abdur Rahman, Jamal Uddin and Abul Basar also echoed the similar things.

According to local sources, approximately 500 families in the city are involved in the seasonal pitha business. Apart from the city, many families in the nine upazilas of the district are involved in this business.

Deputy Director of Khulna Department of Women Affairs Hasna Hena said many women sell pitha in various places of the city.

“It is undoubtedly commendable that they are becoming self-reliant through self-employment. Currently, we do not have any training programme on pitha making but if they are interested training can be arranged on pitha making and selling in a hygienic environment,” she said.

Khulna City Corporation’s Veterinary Surgeon (Food Safety and Zoonotic Disease Control) Dr Peru Gopal Biswas said street food can cause diarrhoea and dysentery as they are not hygienic.

He also said from 2012 to 2018, they had a project called ‘Safe Food’ for street food vendors where they were trained on food hygiene and given glass-covered carts.

“This training programme needs to be established considering public health and hygine,” he said.