Patna: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his recent two-nation visit to Europe gifted ‘Thekua’ (a popular sweet snack from Bihar) to Ruchard Rasi, the Speaker of Slovakia.
The special gesture brought the global spotlight on Indian foods as well as its cultural heritage while enthusing the Thekau makers of Bihar, who see this as golden opportunity for global branding and popularity of their sweet snack.
There is a wave of excitement among Bihar residents whose happiness knows no bounds over recognition of their traditional snack.
The move is seen not just an effort to take Bihar’s cultural identity to the international stage, but also as one that could strengthen the “Vocal for Local” initiative and make it one of the popular snacks that the world would crave for.
Many Thekua makers and sellers in Bihar speaking to the media said that they were overjoyed and optimistic over the brightened prospects of their businesses.
A Thekua seller Anil Kumar Thakur told IANS, “This is a very big achievement. Our Bihar’s thekua was served there, which is a very good thing. Thekua will get much greater recognition. As people abroad recognise it, the demand for our product will rise immensely.”
Another thekua maker Shankar Shah said, “This will be beneficial for our business. It will grow, and exports will also happen from here to different countries. We will send Thekua. Just like Britannia sells biscuits, we will also sell Thekua. It is a good thing…”
Many residents of Bihar described the Prime Minister’s gifting of Thekua as significant achievement for Bihar’s culture and local products and hoped for a catapulting effect on their business, much like what happened with ‘jhalmuri’ during his Bengal stopover.
Notably, Thekua is a traditional sweet snack from Bihar and Jharkhand, made using wheat flour, jaggery or sugar, fennel seeds, and ghee. It is especially prepared during festivals, most notably Chhath Puja.
Known for its simple ingredients, long shelf life, and homemade taste, Thekua reflects cultural tradition, festive celebration, and regional culinary heritage.
(IANS)
