Noumish Hait has sent us photos of ‘Pitha’, a traditional Indian delicacy.
Noumish was the Runner-up in jIAPS’ Article Contest 2022. This year’s Article Contest is open for submissions. Find out more at: https://www.iaps.info/jiaps/jiaps-article-contest/
‘Pitha’ encompasses a variety of food similar to pancakes or dumplings. It is a common delicacy that the people of eastern Indian and Bangladesh partake in during the winter. Traditionally, it is a dish made for the purpose of ‘Poush Parbon’ (also known as Makar Sankranti), the last day of the month of ‘Poush’, a month in the Bengali calendar.
‘Poush Parbon’ usually falls in the middle of January. It is a festival dedicated to the Hindu God of Sun, Surya and marks the day for a harvest festival in Bengal. Therefore, it is no surprise that the focus falls mainly on food and ‘pitha’ takes the spotlight for this occasion. It has an unparalleled popularity among the people of Bengali origin and transcends its semblance as a mere dessert.
The advent of winter commences preparations for this occasion and homes soon fill up with the aroma of coconut and date palm jaggery, which are considered key ingredients for the recipe. From ‘puli pitha’ to ‘aske pitha’, ‘patishapta pitha’ to ‘bhaja pitha’-the list goes on. All these delicacies under the common name of ‘pitha’ not only serve as a form of reverence to the soil but also adopt a perfect role to satiate our usual craziness for sweets.
(References: https://youtu.be/6NPvT8ihrj4, https://youtu.be/C0GmDVg-D7I, https://youtu.be/e_Pn88Q9MEQ, https://youtu.be/r-KlB3cUw74)