Demand for winter delicacies on the rise

With a sudden fall in temperature especially during night, people in the federal capital have started enjoying seasonal food like doodh jalebi, gajar ka halwa, chicken corn soup, Kashmiri tea and coffee. As the mercury is dropping continuously that reaches freezing point at night, the demand for chicken corn soup in particular has increased manifold.
A large number of people can be seen revelling in having protein rich food and other winter delicacies at the makeshift stalls and shops at Karachi Company (G-9 Markaz), Peshawar Morr, G-10, I-10, I-9, Melody, Aabpara, Jinnah Super Market (F-7), Super Market (F-6), and Bhara Kahu. These stalls have dotted the city, concentrating on all most all the shopping malls.
“Kashmiri tea is high in demand these days. I prepare two drums of tea and it all sells like hot cakes,” said Kashif Pervaiz, a vendor at Karachi Company. But he added that insecurity and fear, besides inflation, had damaged his business a bit. “It’s unimaginable for me to shop all the time without refreshing myself with a cup of Kashmiri tea or a bowl of hot soup in winter,” said Lala Rukh Farooq, a visitor at G-9 Markaz.
“There is a crave for fried items during winter and it’s hard to resist,” said Lala Rukh, adding that even the weight conscious people could not stay away from this food. While taking a sip of Chicken corn soup at the stall, she said despite the fact that there was so much dust around the setup, she could not resist the temptation. Besides liquid, fried food like pakoras, samosas and vegetable rolls are also high in demand. These spicy items are considered to be an integral part of evening tea.
Gajar ka Halwa is supposed to be one of unputdownable food items in winter. Prepared with carrots, condensed milk and dry fruits the delicious dessert is not only a source of energy but it also adds colour and taste to meal. “A chicken corn soup is now available for Rs 50 a bowl, while last year it’s price was Rs 30. However, taste and quality of chicken and place determine the price,” said a visitor at F-10 Markaz. Vendors said prices of ingredients were soaring so they had also increased prices of their products. “Sugar crisis has caused prices of these edibles to go higher, while rising prices of milk, chicken, tea leaf, has forced us to increase the prices of all winter intakes,” vendors said while talking to this scribe.
However, many of customers at several stalls and shops observed that care is not taken to serve the chicken soup in hygienic ways. “It’s quite ironic that care is not taken to serve the chicken soup in accordance with health standards,” said Osama Khalid at I-10 markaz.
He said he had ordered for a bowl of soup at a stall but returned it on noticing that the pot was not properly washed. “I have seen a soup stall-holder serving the broth in the same bowl several time without bothering to wash it,” said another customer. He said he heard someone saying that chicken soup was also called grandma’s penicillin due to its healing effects upon health, but the way it was being served “wastes all its benefits.” Dr Abdul Latif Bhatti, who works at a private hospital, told this scribe one could not deny that there were host of benefits of taking chicken soup, but care should be taken to ensure its hygienic serving. He said that only those should be allowed to set up stalls who assured the authorities to maintain hygienic standards. Health experts, while talking to Pakistan Today, warned people against having excessive tea, chicken corn soup, fried snacks and ‘halwa’ which could have a negative impact on human health. They said people should focus on exercise and increase intake of fruit juices.