With the advent of winter season, the demand and sale of dry fruits has significantly increased and one can find pushcarts at every other street corner selling dry fruits.
Peanuts, black grams, pine nuts (chilghoza), walnuts, almonds, pistachios, cashew nuts, dried apricot etc are the most commonly consumed dry fruits in winter as it is hard for one to imagine the cozy winter nights without crunchy dry fruits and others seasonal delights.
Dry fruit is well packed with vital vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, vitamin A, B6, potassium and magnesium. Dry fruits are high in dietary fiber that aid against corpulence, high blood pressure and factors that contribute to the chance for heart disease.
A dry fruits seller at Aabpara Market, Muhammad Ramazan said that the sale of dry fruits has increased manifold as these are equally popular among all age groups. Dry fruits are also used in bakery items like cakes, biscuits and sweets, he added.
Moreover, he said, dry fruits are also an essential part of weddings in the form of traditional exchange of sweets, fruits and dry fruits between the bride and groom's families. But many buyers complain that the prices of dry fruits this year have shot up and becoming out of their reach. However, when contacted the vendor said they themselves get these fruits at high rates from other cities. Danish, another dry fruits seller said that he bought dry fruits from Balochistan and NWFP at exorbitant prices and was forced to sell these accordingly.