PESHAWAR: The small outlet located at the historic Chowk Yadgar in Peshawar city has been attracting thousands of visitors round the clock to enjoy its Kulfi Falooda for the last six decades.

The modern ice cream brands and numerous other icy delights could not eclipse its unique taste. This scribe approached the outlet to find out the secret behind its roaring business during the six-moth summer.

At the end March, the small outlet located on a corner of Chowk Yadgar began to get thronged by visitors till the end of September.

Mudasir Gul, 23, now in the fourth generation, was humble enough to out the secret that mixture of sheep and cow milk and sugar was all that had made the Yadgari Kulfi Falooda really different from other treats where around 6,000 customs turned up daily from 9am in the morning to 1am in the wee hours.

Vendor says he buys pure sheep and cow milk from surrounding villages to maintain quality of product

Regarding the recipe, he said that a huge mass of mixed milk of sheep and cow and proportionate quantity of sugar heated up and then kept in a big plastic made tank in steel cones where beaten pieces of ice and salt were sprinkled on its lid and after passage of about 20 minutes, the tasty icy treat was ready.

“My great grandfather Haji Zargul had opened a kiosk way back in 1959 and owing to its overwhelming popularity he built a small outlet in 1962 on the edge of Chowk Yadgar. My grandfather while quoting his father told me that a bowl of Kulfi Falooda used to be sold for two anas equal to 2/32 of a rupee and now we sell it for Rs80. Foreign tourists never miss this delicious treat and food travellors have made its videos,” said Mr Gul.

Sajida Karim, a resident of Swat, told this scribe that she along with her family members visited the Yadgar Falooda Kulfi almost on every weekend. She said that two weeks ago she brought foreign tourists, who were friends of her husband, and they enjoyed the delicious treat so much. “My children have become crazy after the Peshawari Kulfi,” she added.

The vendor said that a few years ago, they added another outlet equal to the size of the old one. Now they have two outlets one each for ladies and gents having space for 12 persons, who can sit and enjoy the bowls of Falooda Kulfi.

He said that vermicelli were put on copped cones of Falooda Kulfi and then sprinkled with sugar syrup called Sheera to get it sweetened. “This is the only change we have made since it had been first launched decades ago,” he added.

Mr Gul said that a few customers could get a chance to sit on the chair and enjoy the ice bowl but at nighttime he got large space because of closure of the market where thousands including families, children and youngsters continued swarming his outlets till late in the night.

“We buy pure sheep and cow milk from the surrounding villages and always try to maintain our quality as our elders had advised us to never comprise on the quality. It is a traditional delight and we want to maintain our family name besides our thriving business,” the vendor claimed.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2019