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PESHAWAR, Dec 21 (APP): 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 Peshawar’s city and cantonment areas come alive in the evenings.
Vendors 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.
For 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.
“I leave home around 4 p.m. with 12
kilograms of soup and yakhni prepared from 20 desi chickens,” he says. “By 8 p.m., everything is sold out. Demand has shooted up as rain sets in.”
As 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’s affairs.
The 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.
“This recipe came from my grandfather before partition,” he says with pride. “We use desi chicken and pure ghee. That’s what gives it its unique taste. The sauces add flavor, but the warmth comes from tradition.”
December and January are peak months of these winter cusines. “These days, soup sells like hotcakes,” he laughs. “People want something that keeps them warm from the inside, and chicken soup and yakhni do exactly that.”
The 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.
Vendors have responded by setting up special counters, offering a variety of sauces and boiled eggs to meet the growing demand.
Busy localities such as Hashtnagri, Karimpura, Gul Bahar, Nothia, Jhangirabad, Board Bazaar and Hayatabad witness large crowds after sunset.
Faraz Ali, owner of a popular soup outlet at Ghanta Ghar, says his sales have nearly doubled. “Winter is our best season,” he reiterated.
Prices, 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 Rs40–45 last year, occasionally leading to exchange of verbal brawls between customers and vendors.
Faraz Ali attributes the increase to higher costs and added ingredients. “People want more flavor and extra sauces, eggs so prices have gone up in Peshawar,” he explains.
“I have been eating Peshawari corn soup since childhood,” soup lover Ibrahim says. “The taste, especially with different sauces, is unmatched.”
While he prefers chicken yakhni for its longer-lasting warmth and affordability, he voices concern over rising prices, urging district authorities to regulate costs.
A chicken leg with yakhni now costs Rs200–250, compared to Rs150–180 last winter, he adds.
Despite price concerns, the popularity of chicken corn soup and yakhni remains undiminished, underscoring their central role in Peshawar’s winter culture.
For many, these dishes are not just about fighting the cold, but about reconnecting with tradition, with neighbors, and with shared memories.
In the heart of the city, Umar’s 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.