Tokha filled with essence of Chaku (Photo Feature)

Saroj Basnet

Kathmandu: Traders of Tokha are busy as bees in making Chaku (sweet made out of molasses) for the upcoming Maghe Sankranti.

Tokha is known as the pocket area of Chaku as it is famous for making Chaku. Tokha is popular for the ancient settlement of the Newar Community and their traditional method of making Chaku.

The settlement is filled with the essence of Chaku nowadays. Usually, the Chaku manufacturers are free throughout the year. But, the bustle increases in Tokha with the approaching Maghe Sankranti.

Around 7 lakh kgs of Chaku will be produced for the season in Tokha. This covers more than 70% of the demand for Chaku from all over Nepal during this season. Despite the production of Chaku even in Harishiddhi, Bhaktapur, Patan, and Kritipur, the Chaku from Tokha dominates 80% of the market in Kathmandu Valley.

There are 15 Chaku-making factories, including smaller and larger ones, in Tokha. Most of those manufacturers are youngsters. They are carrying the legacy of their ancestors.

The young Chaku-makers are following the traditional method of their grandfathers, and forefathers to produce Chaku. They have been applying the 100-year-old technique to give the same taste to the people.

(Glimpses from Chaku factories in Tokha)