As winter sets in, sales of bhakka rise in the eastern Terai

With the onset of winter, sales of the traditional snack bhakka have risen in eastern Terai districts including Jhapa, Morang and Sunsari.

Called bhakka in the Rajbanshi language, this dish from the indigenous community has now become popular among people of all ages and communities. Bhakka is made by steaming rice flour and is eaten with fresh sal leaves and spicy pickle.

Jagani Rajbanshi of Mechinagar-15 has been selling bhakka daily at Dhulabari Mode for nearly a decade. She leaves home around 5 a.m., carrying utensils, a stove, firewood and sal leaves, to reach the market about 2 kilometers away.

According to her, about 10 kilograms of rice flour worth of bhakka sells each day, and the income from it is enough to support her family.

According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Biratnagar will see morning fog with temperatures ranging from 19 to 21 degrees Celsius.