Traditional treats take the bite out of the winter chill

LOCAL FOOD STALLS ENSURE THAT SWEET MEMORIES LINGER

very season has its own colours and specialities but winters bring special delight for the food lovers in Pakistan who embrace the chilly weather with warm desserts.

To overcome the chill in the air, many people rush to local food stalls to enjoy traditional winter delicacies. Some remain indoors to enjoy home-made desserts which are also known for their health benefits.

Deliciously rich gajar ka halwa (carrot dessert), creamy Kashmiri tea and fresh gulab jamun are some of the favourite winter delights across the country. Here are some of the top winter delicacies of Pakistan that are as delicious as they are healthy. make Panjeeri only in the winter, some people request to have it in summer too.” suggests that Mughal emperor Shah Jahan’s personal chef invented the dish. “Gulab” is derived from the Persian word gol (flower) and ab (water) whereas “Jamun” is the Urdu word for Syzygium cumini, a fruit also known as the Java plum.

This dessert is made with khoya, or thickened milk, and coated with almonds and pistachios. The scrumptious brown coloured soft sweet balls are served with warm sugar syrup.

“Being a food lover, I have many personal favourites. But there is nothing like cherishing the weekend with soft and spongy gulab jamuns drenched in the sugar syrup,” says Umair Hashmi, a Pakistani chef.

Circular and wiggly jalebis are a special favourite in the winter season. Jalebi are basically pretzel shaped sweets which are deep fried, dipped in sugar syrup and served hot.

The history of this juicy dessert has many sweet twists. Though many think it’s a local culinary creation, its history goes back to Persia, where it was known as Zulubiya. It was first documented in the 13th century in Mohammad Bin Hassan Al Baghdadi’s Arab cookbook of the Abbasid period called Kitabal Tabikh (The Book of Dishes). With more than 500 years of history behind it, Jalebi travelled to the Indian subcontinent during the Mughal era through cultural and trade exchanges.

In winters, Pakistanis enjoy this sweet snack with milk thus giving it the name doodh jalebi (milk jalebi).