Winter brings boom to fish sales

The increased chill and foggy conditions have amplified the demands for mouth-watering fish varieties including trout fish and delicious chappli kabab in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa especially in Peshawar where all eatery outlets are packed with customers enjoying its delectable bites till late at night.

Known for hospitality, Peshawar is a unique ancient city for being frequently visited by tourists and food lovers to relish its delectable traditional food varieties including mouth-watering chapli kabab, Peshawari rice-polao and fish varieties mostly brought from Malakand, Hazara divisions, Punjab and Karachi as special winter food recipes.

While travelling on historic Qissa Khawani and Namak Mandi bazaars in the bustling city of Peshawar, a visitor can’t resist the aroma of grilled fish and chapli kabab being served with traditional qehwa [green tea] and spicy sauces in harsh winter.

“The tantalising aroma of trout and carp fish besides other varieties and chappli kabab has always attracted me to enjoy its delectable taste at Qissa Khawani bazaar. It is my third visit to Qisa Khawani during the ongoing winter season with my family. My visit to Peshawar remained incomplete without enjoying the chapli kabab and grilled fish with green qehwa,” said Riaz Khan, a resident of Nowshera.

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Besides food outlets, many visitors take parcels for their loved ones at home to keep themselves warm in harsh winter. Ghanta Ghar, a famous fish trade hub in Peshawar drew a substantial number of seafood lovers on Thursday where the trade of fish including mushka, Rahu, Simon, pomfret, mahsher, and lobsters significantly increased after the cold wave gripped Peshawar valley over the last three days.

Sajid Ali, a fish outlet owner at Ghanta Ghar said trout stock has been brought from Swat and Mansehra districts as a special winter offer to fulfil Peshawarties’ pressing demands. “The recipe for trout fish is very simple and time-efficient. We prepare trout in oil after its proper water wash and cutting. Later, varieties of spicy sauces, pomegranate seed powder, salt and other spicy ingredients are properly mixed.”

Before making it on medium flame, he said the fish is properly marinated for about two hours to ensure that all sauces are intact and the colour is unchanged and later served to customers with chips, sauces (Chatnis), salad and naans.

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Wapda’s retired employee, Qaiser Khan while eating fish at Ring Road Peshawar along with friends said trout was his favourite seafood as its meat was full of proteins and vitamins besides easily digestible. “When I was young, I visited Swat with my father during winter to enjoy the freshwater brown trout due to its aromatic taste and spiciness amid snowfall. This winter, I did not go to Swat due to the availability of grilled and baked trout fish at Peshawar.”

Dr Riaz Khan, senior children specialist at Government Hospital Pabbi Nowshera said there was an additional burden on the heart, brains, joints and lungs of weak people and children due to persistent cough, nausea and frosts in winter, adding consumption of fish was the best available choice to help reduce risks of these diseases.

Besides the best source of proteins, vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, phosphorus, iron and iodine, he said that consumption of seafood helps improve digestion, protects skin from dryness and relieves joints’ pains.

He said Pakistan can earn substantial revenue by giving special incentives to trout farmers besides the construction of new trout lakes especially in Malakand and Hazara divisions due availability of plenty of cold water reservoirs.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 5^th, 2024.