It’s long been debated what the national dish of Pakistan is. FYI we don’t have one. Shocking right? In that case, we need to give that title to Biryani. It just doesn’t get more obvious than that.
Some people may disagree. That is just calling for mutiny.
Biryani should be crowned as the winner
While Biryani is the undisputed king of South Asian cuisine, then why not as the national dish of Pakistan? We’re no Biryani connoisseurs here but even then this should be pretty clear to everyone here. Pakistani Biryani has a range of its own.
No matter what meat is used or the additional condiments based on region, the signature smell of the rice dish remains constant.
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The smell of Biryani comes from the rice and saffron. Regional takes on the dish include Sindhi Biryani, Punjabi Biryani, Bohri biryani, Afghani Biryani, Mughlai Biryani, Hyderabadi Biryani and the list goes on and on.
Sindhi Biryani Should Be the Winner
Just to mention one from the countless variety of biryanis we have here, we take a look at the Sindhi one.
Sindhi Biryani features mutton, basmati rice, potatoes, tomatoes yoghurt, onions, green chillies,and more. There are an assortment of spices used to make it such as turmeric powder, paprika, cinnamon, cardamoms and dried plums. The Sindhi Biryani recipe is quite exotic as you expect it to be.
Maybe Hyderabadi Biryani is the best
Of course, we Pakistanis love to debate which Pakistani Biryani is the best. Save for some minor regional differences, an amateur’s taste-buds can’t even tell the difference. Like what’s the difference between Sindhi Biryani and Hyderabadi Biryani (hint its in the gravy). Also, if you are thinking that Hyderbadi Biryani in Hyderabad is the only authentic one, you will be surprised to know how expertly it is being replicated in other parts of the country.
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Let Social Media Decide?
Besides that there’s a strong debate on whether or not potatoes are legit in the dish or not. A Pakistani blogger Manal Aijaz decided to post a Twitter poll to decide.
Whichever wins, stays the other is gone forever
— m (@meemelif) January 29, 2018
No Clear Winner
In the end, despite losing the ‘no aloo’ vote, no one is prepared to concede. That’s how universally guarded our opinion about biryani is.
As for the debate of making it the national dish, the Government of Pakistan has not taken up the matter. Given their interest in judging the national sweetmeat of Pakistan, we hope they settle the nation dish debate soon.
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