Twin cities usher in winter wonderland for foodies

Shops, restaurants doing roaring business with savoury, sweet delights on menu

ISLAMABAD:

In a country famous for people preparing, consuming and sharing food for excuses as light-hearted as losing a bet regarding the day’s weather and for reasons as grand as a wedding, it comes as no wonder that citizens in the twin cities are already welcoming the upcoming winter season with a plethora of savoury and sweet gastronomic delights.

With the days getting shorter and the nights longer as well as chilly, the demand for winter offerings such as chicken soup, gajjar ka halwa, Kashmiri chai, sarson ka saag, fried fish, nuts and dry fruit has increased by leaps and bounds.

Several customers, young and old, can be seen waiting outside shops, cafes and restaurants to satisfy cravings brought on by the change in weather, with business in fast-food restaurants and shops selling traditional winter foods flourishing.

According to a fast food vendor, youngsters make up the bulk of their clients and give good business to them as they head out with their friends to eat as soon as the sun dips below the horizon.

While talking to a private news channel, a citizen commented that seasonal hawkers have set up their stalls in every nook and corner of the city selling chicken soup.

He added that unlike famous restaurants serving the same, these vendors not only provide their soup at cheaper rates but also add a helping of boiled eggs, which is nothing less than a treat for people belonging to the lower socioeconomic group.

Another passerby commented that gajar ka halwa and sarson ka saag are also exclusives that can only be enjoyed to the fullest in the cold weather.

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Sarson ka saag is especially a hot favourite in the Punjab region in winters and is widely available at most restaurants, with one of the business owners counting the vegetables’ many health benefits, including helping the human body’s immunity to ward off a number of illnesses.

A shopkeeper selling nuts and dry fruit said that they are offering a wide variety of both in different price ranges, so that the less fortunate can also take some of the aromatic and power-packed treats home to share with their families.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 11^th, 2021.