Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh), Feb 13,2023: There are millions who enjoy eating ice creams from cones and then munching on the cones too. A Deoria-based farmers’ group in Uttar Pradesh has now come up with ‘kulhads’ made from millet that can be used to drink tea and then eaten as a healthy snack.

Interestingly, these ‘kulhads’ come at a time when 2023 has been declared as the “International Year of Millets” by the United Nations after a proposal from India in 2019.

Christened ‘Chai Piyo aur Kulhad Khao’, these nutritious kulhads, made of co-arse grain of ragi and maize flour, have caught the attention of tea lovers at the ongoing Magh Mela in Prayagraj.

Ankit Rai, a member of the group, said the demand for these ‘kulhads’ has been increasing manifold in rural as well as urban areas of eastern Uttar Pradesh.

He said, “To promote the benefits of millets, we created edible kulhads made of millets about two years ago. We have a special mould wherein we can make 24 cups in one go.”

“Initially, we connected with tea vendors in small villages of east UP, including Deoria, Gorakhpur, Siddharth Nagar and Kushinagar, but we managed to win hearts in other parts as well. Now, the demand has spread to Prayagraj, Varanasi, Lucknow and other districts.”

Talking about the price of these ‘kulhads’, he said, “It takes Rs 5 to shape such kulhads and when tea is served in it, it costs Rs 10. The ‘kulhads’ are also eco-friendly. They are in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat Mission as there is zero wastage.”

Women are mostly involved in making ‘kulhads’ of millet for health benefits.