In dry Bihar, Santa Claus comes visiting without rum cakes
PATNA: Imagine Christmas without rum balls and rum cakes.
In dry Bihar, where all types of alcohol are banned since 2016, it might just come true.
Given the prohibition law, bakers and confectioners here have refused to accept orders of fermented cake mixtures.
“Rum cakes used to be a much sought-after item,” said Mantu Kumar Singh of Bakers Hut, Vijaya Tej Clarks Inn.
“But no festival supersedes law and we are hopeful our customers will cooperate with us and buy other alternatives to support the ban,” he added.
“We have organised a fruit cake preparation programme for our corporate clients on December 23-24. More people are opting for eggless cakes and we can give a live demo to our clients,” Mantu said.
Sunny Gandhi of Palsons Treat has a dozen varieties of Christmas cakes to make up for the absence of rum balls and cakes.
“Most of our cakes are pre-ordered. Ours is the oldest cake shop in the city and we had a monopoly in united Bihar. My grandparents were the pioneers in baking rum cakes in undivided Bihar. Rum used in cakes was in point percentage of the total ingredients but had a unique taste and colour,” he said.
Without violating the law, Patna bakers are using rum essence mixed with sugar syrup to give their customers a similar taste.
A baker, who requested not to be identified, said, “In place of rum, we are mixing an essence to give a similar taste.”
However, many said rum balls and cakes were still being sold clandestinely at Maurya Lok and Boring Road markets at higher rates.
Bulk supplies are coming from neighbouring state Jharkhand.
“I have to find out the legal implications pertaining to selling and eating of rum balls and cakes,” said ADG headquarter and Bihar police spokesperson, SK Singhal.