Daily Times

LARKANA: Decades old traditional milk made sweets prepared in different cities of Larkana and which are famous in Karachi and other cities still continue maintaining the traditional taste.

According to the owners of sweet shops, there are around 17 ovens, working in Naundero, Ratodero & Larkana which are preparing sweet (known as Mao in Sindhi language) from pure milk and send it to Karachi since so many decades which is not only sweet but so delicious and very unique in taste as well.

In Sindhi it is traditionally called as “Mao”, milk inspissated or concentrated by boiling, and people especially of rural areas love to eat and purchase for their kids too. Out of these 17 ovens, ten are in Naundero, six in Ratodero and one in Larkana. Many people also send this traditional sweet to their loving ones, relatives and friends as precious gift.

Iqbal Bhutto, owner of a sweet factory in Naundero said here on Friday that he is preparing Mao since last 35 years and his elders worked for 60 years from whom he inherited. He said that 10 to 12 labourers are working at each furnace daily where between 800 to 1000 kgs Mao was prepared in the past and sent to Karachi market for consumption.

He said that 20 kg milk is poured in the large frying pan which is kept over the furnace and then we leave it to boil for 25 minutes during which time milk is constantly stirring out of which four kg Mao is cooked. Bhutto claimed that cost of each kilogram comes to Rs:300/- and they sale it between Rs:310/- to 350/- per kg to Karachi traders which is sent daily through passenger buses at night to keep it fresh. Bhutto complained that recently Punjab furnace owners have flooded the Karachi market with Mao (sweet) which they are preparing from powder milk which is very cheap but very harmful for the health adding that it is in fact a substitute of Mao.

He said that Punjab Mao is being sold in Karachi between Rs:180/- to 250/- per kg which has destroyed our market as people are unaware of its hazards adding if this state of affairs continued then Sindh’s furnaces will be closed and hundreds of labourers will be rendered jobless. Bhutto said Mao is also made sugar-free for usage by diabetics. Iqbal Bhutto demanded of Sindh Government to impose complete ban on sale of Punjab & KPK Mao, in the interest of peoples’ wellbeing.

One of the labourer Allah Wadhayo said that each of them is paid Rs:8000/- per month along with provision of clothes. He said that if government failed to immediately stop Punjab’s low-quality powdered Mao then they will be rendered unemployed due to which they will suffer along with their families in this poverty era. Cattle owners Ahmed Ali & Sohrab said private companies have already ruined milk business and now their supply to these furnace owners have extremely worried them.

They said that they bring pure milk from their villages on cycles & bikes for making pure Mao and they are paid instantly good rates adding now they are being forced to sale their milk at hotels or elsewhere.