Over 3,000 pithas in a 12-hour shop; Tk 10 each, five staff

A 55-year-old man runs a roadside shop next to Muktijoddha Chattar in South Surma, Sylhet city. About 10 years ago he began with a tea stall, and later sold sandesh, onion fritters, samosas and tea. Since he added nungra pitha (also called nun pitha) about three years ago, his customers have grown. The pitha is made from rice flour with turmeric, chilli, onion and ginger; alongside it he makes a sweet sandesh pitha with jaggery and fennel. A worker at the shop says 1,500 to 1,600 nungra pithas sell every day, sandesh pitha sells in about the same number, and 350 to 400 samosas. Pitha and samosa are Tk 10 a piece. Demand for nungra is so high that it sells out between 3 pm and 9 pm, and customers sometimes have to wait. Five staff work from afternoon until late at night; three of them make pitha, but in turns, not all at once. The owner says that without the right amounts of rice flour and water the pitha does not come out, so experience matters. Though the shop is open only 12 hours, ingredients including the flour have to be prepared beforehand, so the whole day goes into it. He says it earns well, but people see the income and not the hard work behind it. Even so, he is happy with his business.