There is a close relation between food and seasons. Some food items are seasonal, whereas many a dish is prepared to welcome (read celebrate) the new season. Not surprisingly, the list of food items is longer in winters than those in any other season.

Though every region caters to the nourishment needs of its inhabitants, some places are known especially for their cuisines. Again, these cuisines are season-specific.

The people of Lahore are renowned for their appetites and fondness for foods and drinks of all sorts — we are “khanay peenay kay shauqeen,” as they say. What makes us (Lahoris) food lovers is the variety of cuisines the city has to offer. God knows the list (of scrumptious dishes) only gets bigger in winters, be it in traditional cuisine or continental.

In this bone-chilling weather, where everything seems to be freezing, people still leave their warm and cosy homes to satisfy their taste buds with the best food that is on offer.

One thing is obvious - taste has a lot to do with weather. In winters, food tastes more delicious than any other season, doesn’t it? The hazy mornings in Lahore see long queues of customers at shops selling paye, halwa poori and naan channa. After sunset, spicy and mouth-watering fried Rahu (fish) from Sardar and Bashir served with naan and chutni have never-ending lines of customers, as they all somehow taste tastier in winters.

Pakoras, samosas, tikka and BBQ and chargha add to the long list of our winter culinary delights.

Internet and globalisation have resulted in a cross-cultural exchange of food options. No wonder Lahore is widely acknowledged as a heavenly place for foodies. Parts of old city specialise in traditional dishes like paye, kachori, murgh channa etc. People of the Walled City are known for having the best taste in traditional foods. They know what real spicy food is, and also how to cook it. Take a trip down the old Food Street in Anarkali to savour the best takatak at Butt Karrahi in Lakshmi Chowk.

At the other end of the spectrum, the urban areas of Lahore boast posh eateries and cafés that offer the best coffee in town. Chinese restaurants also abound; they have great sea food variety and their special fish dishes. And when it comes to soups, chicken or vegetable, the best ones have to be got at the Chinese restaurants only.

How can one ignore the delightful present of winters — the many hot and sweet desserts? Traditional gaajar ka halwa, jalebi, shahi tukray, daal ka halwa, and fresh from the oven gulab jamuns dipped in sugar syrup are more than enough to satisfy one’s sweet cravings.

Ice cream is one dessert that is enjoyed by all in all seasons. In the cafés of Lahore, chocolate soup has no match. For a Lahori, it is always difficult to choose between hot chocolate and the crunchy, sugary jalebi dipped in hot milk. Both are heavenly in their tastes.

Roadside stalls serving steaming hot potato chips with flavoured/coloured ketchup are cheaper but no less tasty. Though, one may have to forgo one’s hygiene concerns!

Even at private homes, family gatherings in winter nights are incomplete without a bowl of mixed dry fruits — peanuts, walnuts, pecans, almonds, topped with raw jiggery cubes. They are good for your nocturnal cravings also.

This indispensable and strange relation of food and winter is quite an adventure in itself. The aromas of food force us to come out of our homes and taste every tempting item there is on offer.

Of course, all your wintery food adventure is incomplete without chai or qahwa at the end. Indigenised modern chai called “tandoori chai” or the best Peshawri Qahwa with small jaggery chunks thrown in will warm the cockles of your heart!