KATHMANDU: As the Maghe Sankranti festival draws closer, demand for chaku (molasses) has doubled across the Kathmandu Valley this year, according to traditional producers.
Surendra Joshi, a chaku producer from Patan in Lalitpur, said production pressure has increased significantly with the festive rush driving up market demand. He noted that factories have become busier than usual as Maghe Sankranti nears, a period when chaku sales peak annually.
Chaku, a traditional sweet made from sugarcane juice, jaggery, ghee and coconut, is especially consumed during Maghe Sankranti. The festival, which falls on the first day of the tenth month according to the lunar calendar, is traditionally marked by the consumption of chaku, believed to help the body ward off cold during winter.
“People believe that eating chaku helps keep the cold away, which is why demand rises sharply at this time,” Joshi said, adding that production during the festive season is many times higher than in other months, when output barely reaches five percent of current levels.
Producers say the preparation process is labour-intensive and time-consuming. It involves melting jaggery, continuously stirring the mixture, cooling it in earthen pots, and then pounding, stretching and shaping it. This process gives chaku its distinctive dark colour.
Finally, the product is weighed, combined with coconut and packaged. Completing a single batch takes around two to three hours.
Photos: Nepal Photo Library
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