As my adventures in Pakistan continued, I headed from the city of Peshawar to the world-famous Khyber Pass to go on a street food tour in Jamrud, Pakistan. Let’s go explore the sights, sounds, and flavors of the Khyber Pass!
My guide Rashid from Manaky and I began our Khyber Pass street food tour in nearby Peshawar. We’d be taking a day trip to get to the Khyber Pass, a mountain pass just 30 minutes from the Pakistan/Afghanistan border. It was once part of the ancient Silk Road, so lots of explorers and invaders, including Alexander the Great, passed through there!
I couldn’t wait to explore it! It takes roughly 1 hour to drive from Peshawar to the Khyber Pass. Along the way, we’d stop to get some channa, malai, chai, and parathas for breakfast!
It was March, so the area around the Khyber Pass is cool this time of year. We passed through the main gate, Baab-e-Khyber, which is the main symbol of the pass. From there, we found a street food vendor selling channa (chickpeas), chicken, beef stew, and more.
Nearby is another vendor who makes parathas in a tandoor. On the way to see him, we saw vendors selling roasted corn and chaat ingredients including sev!
There are lots of Afghan people here, as there is a lot of commuting between the two nations here. There are also lots of vendors selling brown sugar, fried meats, and household items.
We eventually found a vendor selling channa, malai, parathas, and bannu pulao. The friendly vendor gave me some tasty bannu pulao, which was moist and contained large chunks of beef.
The flavor was very different from other types of pulao I’d had, as it didn’t contain raisins, chickpeas, or dried fruits. It was basically just rice and beef!
Then, we watched the guys pat out their roghni parathas and place them in a deep tandoor. Lots of people from the came out to greet me as I watched! They were too kind!
The roghni paratha is different from others I’d had. It’s thinner and crispier. Halfway through the baking process, they take it out, brush more ghee on it, and put it back in the tandoor!
The paratha with the channa, chilies, onions, and cucumbers was excellent. I loved the crispiness! Then, they gave me a corn chapati, which was like cornbread. I loved dipping it into the oil from the channa.
The chilies weren’t too hot, and the chickpeas were nice and soft. The cucumber, onion, dill, and yogurt salad on the side was nice and refreshing. Eating among the community was such a special experience, and the way they all embraced me was so heartwarming!
Next, Rashid and I continued exploring the town. We found popcorn vendors and people selling thin samosas containing potatoes and herbs. There were also sugarcane juice vendors.
Further on was a mosque overlooking the Jamrud Bazaar. As we continued, we passed people carrying massive blocks of ice, vegetable vendors, and more. One of them let me try some sugarcane, which was full of water and very sweet!
Tons of people came out to watch as I explored. It was intense but everyone was so friendly. It was such a beautiful experience!
Next, we found a vendor selling kheer made with brown sugar before ending our time in Jamrud Bazaar.
What an incredible time exploring the Khyber Pass street food market in Jamrud, Pakistan!
I hope you liked coming with me on my Khyber Pass street food adventure in Jamrud, Pakistan! If you did, please give this video a thumbs up and leave a comment below. Also, please subscribe to my YouTube channel and click the notification bell so you don’t miss any of my travel/food adventures around the world!
Counter
101 Countries • 1432 Cities
