Bhakka sales peak as winter approaches

By Nisha Rai,Dharan, Dec. 4: “Bhakka”, once a speciality limited only to the southern region of the country, is now found everywhere. In every street, every corner of Dharan, it is found and crowd fills the place almost every day.

Subu Rajdhami from Dharan Submetropolitian-18 has been selling bhakka for a decade now. “Along with bhakka, I also sell potato chops, and even fritters,” she said. 

She mentioned that her routine involves making bhakka from 5 am to 10 am and 3 pm to 7 pm.

From office workers to students, everyone is very fond of consuming this dish. Therefore, the sight of selling of bhakka can be seen in entire southern region including Dharan. In winter, the demand is high, therefore, the business is also quite profitable, she added. 

The price of a piece of bhakka has increased to Rs. 20 from Rs. 5 in recent years and if one managed to sell it worth Rs. 2000, one could make a profit of Rs. 500 to  Rs.700 daily. 

With a good profit margin during the winter, she shared that she has set aside all other works to focus on selling bhakka, which allows her to support her household. 

While she engages in other works during the rest of the year, she shifts to selling bhakka during the winter season. According to her, this generates income and limits the need of dependency. 

Another seller, Savunam Chaudhary, says that Dharan is comparatively less cold than other regions, yet he sells bhakka early morning and late in evening. 

He too has been selling bhakka for the last five years. Rest of the year, he is engaged in other works, and switches to selling bhakka in winter.

Bhakka is prepared by steaming rice flour. Variations exist from people to people. 

It can also be enjoyed with pickle without prepping it with salt or sugar. It is a delicacy that should be eaten when hot, as it is easy to digest and warms the body, which is why people like it, he informed. 

With rising popularity, the number of sellers has also increased in Dharan. Not only there, with winter having its onset, sellers in southern region are earning good profit from it.

Delicacy only eaten in Chaudhary community previously, now it is a choice of many people. Bhakka is especially enjoyed as an afternoon snack. 

As it is not oily or spicy, it is beneficial from a health point of view, said a resident of Dharan-11, Binita Rai.