The best time to have Pitha is in the Winter Morning

Written &Video taken by Mohtarimun Nahar Bipa
Video edited by Tarun Falia

In our country Pitha [home made cake] is a traditional food item. Different types of Pitha are made in the whole year in Bangladesh. But the winter season is the best season for making and having Pitha. To me the best time to have Pitha is in the winter morning.

For making Pitha, we need powder of Atap rice, coconut, banana, oil etc. For making sweet Pitha we use Molasses of date-palm [Patali Gur] or Molasses of sugarcane or juice of date or sugar etc. It depends on the type of Pitha. Some Pitha are sweet, some are salty & some are soft and some are hard.

In the winter season different kinds of Pitha are made in different areas in Bangladesh. Some known Pitha are—Chitoi, Milk-Chitoi, Vapa-pitha, Bora-pitha, Patishapta-pitha, Puli-pitha, Malpoa, Andesha, Alokeshi, Milk-puli, Khir-puli etc.

Village people receive and treat hospitably to their guest by seasonal Pitha

Village girls and women make different shapes and designed Pitha. It calls ‘Nakshi Pitha’. The names of some Nakhi Pitha are—Hijal-pata, Kajol-lata, Shajni-bahar, Padma-dighi, Shagor-dighi etc. Generally different kinds of Nakshi Pitha are arranged in the marriage ceremony of village.

In the Bangladesh Pitha making is a common tradition of village areas. The city people also like Pitha. Now-a-day different kinds of Pitha are found in the food shop. I think all aged people and children like Pitha.

Some days ago I went to my village with my Mom and Dad in winter season. My village name is Digrirchor. It is in the Dewangonj Thana in the Jamalpur district. Our village is near the Bangladesh-India Border. I stayed in my village for 3 days. All of my relatives came to meet with us. My uncles and aunts were busy to receive and treat hospitably to us. My Mom and aunts made some winter Pitha for me. I took videos on Puli-pitha and Malpoa-pitha.