PESHAWAR: Jaggery slush, a traditional sweet dish made of blended ice dipped in jaggery syrup, is a decades-old favourite delight of Peshawarites especially served during the summer season as a respite from the sizzling heat.

During the hot and humid summer season, countless push carts and vendors become ubiquitous on streets and roads of Peshawar offering mouth-watering ice slush sweetened mostly by pouring jaggery syrup.

People of all ages mostly from minors to youngsters and even of old ages can be seen gathered around the stalls of sweet syrup for quenching their thrust and for getting relief from the harsh humid summer.

“Locally called `Totia Motia’, the dish has special liking from Peshawarites which can be gauged from the fact that for the last 30 years, our family is engaged in this business even in the winter season, ” informs Nazir Ahmad a shopkeeper in Gang area of Peshawar in interior city.

Packed to capacity, Nazir shop was swarmed by Totia Motia lovers of all ages who were waiting to get their favourite dish.

“We are selling Totia Motia in both summer and winter seasons due to its demand throughout the year, ” Nazir told reporter.

In winter the demand is less but in summer we did not have time to even scratch our heads due to the rush of customers, he added.

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

About the recipe, Nazir said, 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 the sweetness and attraction of customers, Nazir went on to say.

“This sweet slush is our favourite dish and we like to eat it on a daily basis, ” observed Nasir a young city dweller.

People from different localities come to Nazir shop because of its good reputation for adding pure jaggery syrup, Nasir told reporter.

A number of ice cream brands have arrived and shops are opened in the city but the demand for Totia Motia remained intact due to its affordable price and unique taste, commented Abid Ali, another city dweller.

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