Australia’s high commissioner to Pakistan, Neil Hawkins, recently learnt about Peshawar’s famous Charsi Tikka. Hawkins arrived to Peshawar’s Qissa Khwani Bazaar dressed in a traditional Pakistani kurta and waistcoat, ready to embark on a gastronomic trip.
He began his day with a cup of cardamom-flavored tea. Hawkins tried Peshawar’s famous Charsi tikka to get a taste of the city’s culinary culture.
The Australian High Commissioner couldn’t stop admiring the grilled meat. Hawkins remarked with delight that he had never eaten such wonderful tikka before, and he now knew why it is nicknamed “Charsi,” a play on the word “addictive.”
Hawkins formed a link with the community by adopting the habits and flavours that distinguish Peshawar’s food scene. His delight of the charsi tikka demonstrates the possibility for intercultural understanding and shared experiences to arise from food’s universal language.
