Totia Motia Offers Peshawarites Relief From Sweltering Heat

News Desk

Peshawar: A long time favourite treat of Peshawarites, jaggery slush– locally called ‘Totia Motia’ – is a classic sweet dish consisting of blended ice dipped in jaggery syrup which is especially served during the summer as a relief from the sizzling heat.

In the sweltering summer months, Peshawar’s streets and roads are overrun with uncountable push carts and vendors selling mouthwatering ice slush that is typically sweetened with jaggery syrup.

People of all ages, especially children, teenagers and even elderly people, may be seen crowded around the sweet syrup stalls to quench their thirst and get relief from the hot, muggy weather.

“The fact that our family has been engaged in this business even in the winter for the past 30 years indicates that Peshawarites have a particular affinity for the dish,” said Nazir Ahmad, a shopkeeper in the Gang area of Peshawar in the interior city.

Totia Motia lovers of all ages flocked to the Nazir store, which was completely full, to buy their favorite delicacy.

Due to the delicacy’s year-round demand, we sell it both in the summer and the winter, remarked Nazir. Demand is lower in the winter but in the summer there was such a rush of customers that there was no time for us to scratch our heads, he added.

He added that the shop opens early in the morning and keeps on serving sweets to customers till late at night, especially in the hot summer which becomes harsher due to humidity and electricity load shedding.

About the recipe, Ahmad stated that it is very simple: just crushed ice dipped in sweet syrup, especially jaggery due to its demand. We also add some sweet custard and vermicelli of boiled starch which further adds sweetness and attracts customers, shopkeeper further stated.

People from different localities come to Nazir’s shop because of its good reputation for adding pure jaggery syrup, he said.

Abid Ali, another city resident, noted that even though several ice cream brands have arrived and shops have established themselves in the city, Totia Motia’s popularity has endured because of its reasonable pricing and distinctive flavour.

A cup of Totia Motia is available at a reasonable price of Rs 50 and we can easily eat more than one, he added.

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