For many Biharis, Thekua is more than a festive sweet; it is the taste of home. Often regarded as the unofficial mascot of Chhath Puja, it evokes memories of kitchens perfumed with jaggery and fennel, trays of freshly fried biscuits cooling by the window, and boxes carefully packed to share long after the festival ended.

That tradition recently found an unexpected international audience. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Slovakia in June, he presented traditional Bihari Thekua to Richard Raši, Slovakia’s Deputy Prime Minister for Investments and Information. Later, Raši shared a video on X, tasting the sweet for the first time, saying it reminded him of biscuits that his grandmother would make, and thus introduced many across the world to one of Bihar’s best-loved festive delicacies.