Health Food Markets in Lahore

Okay! I admit it! I have considered packing my bags and leaving Lahore several times. Once I even went as far as looking up cheap tickets back home to California. I ditched the thought the very moment my neighbor walked in my room with a cup of chai. Its this thing about Lahoris, they win your heart and hold you close. My frustration has nothing to do with the nature of the people in this city, more to do with their eating habits. Don’t jump to  any conclusions yet. Lahore is known for its scrumptious food all over Pakistan. There is another street dedicate to food in Gulberg and the city is brimming with various restaurant hubs on every corner.  Prospective couples first get to see each other over hi-tea and a month of family dinners follow if the couple decides to get married. Did I mention weddings here mean a minimum of three days of continuous feasting? You get my point, right? These people love food. They are obsessed with it. The only problem is they solely listen to their taste buds. And that is what makes me want to  pull my hair out.

Yes yes mother dear you gave me a lecture on minding my own business long time ago. I remember it, word for word. Problem is how can I mind my own business when their eating habits impact mine too? There isn’t a single health store/organic grocery store in Lahore.  After much research, I found out that there are two organic health foods markets that are set up  in Lahore at different venues every now and then: Haryali Food Market and Khalis Food Market. They were both a huge disappointment to me. Most of the stalls at the markets are set up by families who run small businesses catering to the super rich.   (My vegan mother please refrain from reading any further). The stalls sell various grocery items from homemade relishes and pickles to a variety of cheeses and organic meats.  They are overly priced and there is no way of being sure that the cheese you are buying is made from milk that comes from an organically raised buffalo or cow. Mind you, Australian cows are a big thing here. People pay much more than they should to get  hormone packed milk from these cows. The idea is that the cows are wailaiyti! Thats all that matters here.

I should mention here that I found my organic eggs vendor at the Haryali Food Market. I yet have to verify their authenticity from an expert.

In my next blog post, I’ll state the various organic food options available in the city that health conscious people can consider.