Khajoor or dates are very popular during iftar (the evening meal to break the fast) or sehri (the morning meal before the fast). Lachcha and semaiya are much in demand during Eid-ul-Fitr, the festival marking the end of the month of fasting.
Lachcha is basically roasted vermicelli which can be savoured with sweets, milk or dried fruit. Both local and "imported" varieties are available from places like Kolkata and Lucknow and the prices vary between Rs 80 and Rs 140 per kg. Semaiya is similar to lachha and is prepared from dry or roasted vermicelli. It has its own taste and can be had without any accompaniments. But usually people prefer it laced with milk or fruits. The ones that come from Lucknow and Kolkata are more in demand and cost between Rs 50 and Rs 60 per kg.
"Whether it's lachcha or semaiya, people love these delicacies during Eid and also share them among friends and family members," said Abdul Jabbar, a vendor in the Unit 4 area, who has put up a stall near the mosque.
Mohammed Muqtar, another vendor in Cuttack said he does brisk business no doubt, but there's not much profit. "These food items sell only during this festival season. The business is on from the begging of the fasting month and wound up before Eid-ul-Fitr," he said.
Riaz Ahmed Khan, a supplier of lachcha and semaiya in Cuttack, said lachcha and semaiya are also in demand by other communities. "You will not find this variety in the market after our festival. Some companies do sell them in packets, but this variety will be missing," he said.
Mohammad Irfan of Cuttack, whose family has been in this business for the past 40 years, also said this variety will not be seen in the market after Eid. They are the sole local suppliers of lachcha to different parts of the state, including Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.
Mohammad Fahim, Irfan's son, said when he takes over the business, he will try to make it a round-the-year business. "I plan to sell them in packets," he said. Irfan, however, said there are few experts who can make this kind of variety and they are mostly in Bihar and West Bengal.
Mohammad Sayeed, another maker of lachcha, gets his stock of semaiya from Lucknow. Apart from this, there is a vermicelli making and supplying company in Jagatpur, whose semaiya is available round the year. The khajoors in demand are those imported from the Gulf, known as Arabian khajoor, and sell between Rs 170 and Rs 220 per kg. Other varieties cost between Rs 80 and Rs 100 per kg. Murabba from Kolkata and Lucknow come for Rs 100 to Rs 200 per kg.
These sweet temptations apart, the mouthwatering "haleem", made from wheat, barley and meat, adds a special flavour to the festival. "Some prepare the dish at home," said Shaikh Jahoor, the lone seller of haleem in Cuttack's Odia Bazaar. A cup of haleem costs Rs 15.
Source: http://tinyurl.com/ne4jolv
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