Retaining its age-old taste and traditional dignity, the famous Bara Mithai from Pakribarawan in Nawada district continues to expand its popularity. Despite the growing trend of modern sweets in the market, Bara Mithai has firmly maintained its unique identity and reputation. The production and trade of this sweet functions as a cottage industry in the region, with hundreds of people associated with the business. Among them is Saryu Chaudhary, who has been involved in the Bara Mithai trade for the past 25 years. He travels to fairs organized across various districts of Bihar, setting up stalls to sell the renowned Bara Mithai of Pakribarawan.
Crowds Gather at the Gaya Craft Fair
A craft fair is currently underway at Azad Park in Gaya district, featuring a dedicated stall for the highly celebrated Bara Mithai from Nawada district. Being sold at 10 rupees per piece and between 200 to 300 rupees per kilo, this sweet is recording daily sales of up to 40 kilos at the craft fair. Pakribarawan's Bara Mithai has maintained its charm not only within Bihar but across fairs held throughout the country. The biggest specialty of Bara Mithai is its extreme softness, but the process of making it is as complex as handling it is challenging.
Unique Preparation Process and Delicate Texture
Prepared using a combination of refined flour and sugar syrup, this sweet is so delicate that one must use a gentle touch from its preparation to consumption. Even the slightest carelessness causes this sweet to shatter like glass. Due to this finesse and its melt-in-the-mouth taste, it is also referred to as the queen of sweets. As visitors enjoy this delicacy at the craft fair in Azad Park, the fragrance of Nawada's soil spreads far and wide. Standing tall with its age-old reputation, the Bara Mithai that has become the identity of Pakribarawan now awaits a global market and recognition.
Business Journey and Traditional Sayings
Saryu Chaudhary shares that he initially started the Bara Mithai business with an investment of 10,000 rupees and now earns a good income from it. He visits fairs organized across various districts of Bihar, where people from every district appreciate it immensely. The sweet is known for being light, crisp, and delicious. It is crafted to be so crisp that even a slight pressure can break it. In earlier times, a popular saying about its crispness went that if a one-rupee coin fell on Bara Mithai, it would shatter into pieces. Prepared from refined flour and sugar, the sweet is fried in refined oil over a low flame, after which sugar syrup is poured over it.
