Pakistani food is one of the great undiscovered cuisines in the world. It is rich, meat-forward, heavily spiced, generous with oil, and extraordinarily good. The regional variations are significant: Lahori cooking is rich and bold; Pashtun food from Peshawar and the northwest is simpler, leaning heavily on kebabs and slow-cooked meat; Sindhi food is hotter and uses more fish and vegetables; in the northern mountains the food is plainer and starchier.
Chicken karahi is probably the most ubiquitous dish in the country — chicken cooked in a wok-like karahi with tomatoes, green chillies, and ginger, finished fast over high heat. Every restaurant has a version; every family has an opinion on who does it best.
Nihari is the breakfast of champions in Lahore: slow-cooked lamb or beef shank, simmered overnight with bone marrow and aromatic spices, served with naan and raw onion. It's heavy and extraordinary. The best versions are served at dawn from restaurants that have been cooking the same pot for decades.
Biryani varies enormously by region. Sindhi biryani — tangier and more complex than its Lahori cousin — is served in Karachi everywhere from street carts to wedding banquets.
Chapli kebab originated in Peshawar: flat discs of minced meat with coriander seeds, pomegranate seeds, and green chillies, fried in a pan and served with naan. They are crispy, juicy, and completely different from anything else labeled a kebab.
Haleem is wheat, lentils, and meat cooked together for hours into a thick paste — a dish of Persian origin that's become integral to Pakistani street food and festival eating.
Daal and flatbread form the backbone of everyday eating across all classes and regions. The sheer variety of lentil preparations — each region has its preferred pulses and seasonings — makes daal anything but boring.
Pakistan is officially a dry country and alcohol is almost impossible to find outside certain international hotels. Tea, however, is everywhere and serious. Chai in the northwest often comes with cardamom and strong milk; Kashmiri chai (noon chai) is a striking pink-colored salted tea made with green tea and milk. Fresh juices, lassi, and sugarcane juice are widespread.
Vegetarians can manage in Pakistan — daal, vegetable curries, and flatbreads are available everywhere — but most dishes are built around meat and the default assumption is that you eat it.