PESHAWAR
\nAs a cold wave tightens its grip on Peshawar amid intermittent rains on Sunday, warmth arrives not from heaters alone, but from steaming bowls of chicken yakhni and chicken corn soup being winter staples that stir both comfort and nostalgia among residents.
\nWith temperatures dipping due to torrential rains, soup and yakhni stalls across Peshawar\u2019s city and cantonment areas come alive in the evenings.
\nVendors ladle hot broth into outstretched bowls as customers gather to beat the biting cold. Many ask for boiled eggs to be added, a popular winter indulgence that makes the dish richer and more filling.
\nFor Umar Khan, a 30-year-old soup seller at Pabbi bazar, winter is more than a season rather it is a livelihood for winter cusines sellers.
\n\u201cI leave home around 4 p.m. with 12 kilograms of soup and yakhni prepared from 20 desi chickens,\u201d he says. \u201cBy 8 p.m., everything is sold out. Demand has shooted up as rain sets in.\u201d
\nAs he speaks, Umar directs a helper serving eager customers, their breath visible in the chilly air. The scene is a familiar winter ritual in Peshawar where people huddled around soup stalls, sharing bowls, stories and the day\u2019s affairs.
\nThe aroma of native chicken, ghee and special sauces hangs thick in the air, drawing customers of all ages. Many settle onto traditional charpayees, especially in historic areas like Qissa Khwani Bazaar, where soup becomes more than food rather it becomes a social glue.
\n\u201cThis recipe came from my grandfather before partition,\u201d he says with pride. \u201cWe use desi chicken and pure ghee. That\u2019s what gives it its unique taste. The sauces add flavor, but the warmth comes from tradition.\u201d
\nDecember and January are peak months of these winter cusines. \u201cThese days, soup sells like hotcakes,\u201d he laughs. \u201cPeople want something that keeps them warm from the inside, and chicken soup and yakhni do exactly that.\u201d
\nThe winter rush is not limited to Peshawar alone. Residents from Nowshera and Charsadda also flock to local markets at night with their families, boosting footfall at chicken corn soup and yakhni stalls after rains.
\nVendors have responded by setting up special counters, offering a variety of sauces and boiled eggs to meet the growing demand.
\nBusy localities such as Hashtnagri, Karimpura, Gul Bahar, Nothia, Jhangirabad, Board Bazaar and Hayatabad witness large crowds after sunset.
\nFaraz Ali, owner of a popular soup outlet at Ghanta Ghar, says his sales have nearly doubled. \u201cWinter is our best season,\u201d he reiterated.
\nPrices, however, have risen in the wake of rains on Sunday. Small to medium cups of soup now sell for Rs100 to Rs120, while larger servings cost Rs150 to Rs160. A bowl of chicken yakhni is priced at Rs50 to Rs60, up from Rs40\u201345 last year, occasionally leading to exchange of verbal brawls between customers and vendors.
\nFaraz Ali attributes the increase to higher costs and added ingredients. \u201cPeople want more flavor and extra sauces, eggs so prices have gone up in Peshawar,\u201d he explains.
\n\u201cI have been eating Peshawari corn soup since childhood,\u201d soup lover Ibrahim says. \u201cThe taste, especially with different sauces, is unmatched.\u201d
\nWhile he prefers chicken yakhni for its longer-lasting warmth and affordability, he voices concern over rising prices, urging district authorities to regulate costs.
\nA chicken leg with yakhni now costs Rs200\u2013250, compared to Rs150\u2013180 last winter, he adds.
\nDespite price concerns, the popularity of chicken corn soup and yakhni remains undiminished, underscoring their central role in Peshawar\u2019s winter culture.
\nFor many, these dishes are not just about fighting the cold, but about reconnecting with tradition, with neighbors, and with shared memories.
\nIn the heart of the city, Umar\u2019s modest stall stands as a symbol of that warmth. On rainy December nights, a bowl of soup or yakhni, a boiled egg, and a friendly exchange are enough to double the joy being proof that sometimes, the simplest comforts mean the most in cold weather.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PESHAWAR As a cold wave tightens its grip on Peshawar amid intermittent rains on Sunday, warmth arrives not from heaters alone, but from steaming bowls of chicken yakhni and chicken corn soup being winter staples that stir both comfort and nostalgia among residents. With temperatures dipping due to torrential rains, soup and yakhni stalls across […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-521317","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-peshawar"},"yoast_head":"\n