Traditional Hyderabadi sweets are selling like hot cakes this Diwali

Move over kaju katli,

soan papdi

, motichoor laddoo — the real stars among sweets this Diwali are our very own

Hyderabadi

mithai. From the age-old ashrafi dating back to the Nizami era to the Nizam’s personal favourite, jouzi halwa, or even the more common but much-loved favourites like

qubani ka meetha

and double ka meetha, the choice is plenty. And this festive season, as Hyderabadis are going all out to celebrate in a big way, they want to share a bite of Hyderabadi mithaas with friends and family, both near and far.

Demand for traditional Hyderabadi mithai shoots up among youngsters

At the bustling Hameedi Confectioners in Nampally, it’s business as usual with scrores of shoppers walking in to place orders ahead of Diwali. However, this festive season there’s one notable difference, says Majji Hameedi, the third-generation owner of the store.

“Usually, people walk into our store and ask for kaju katli and soan papdi during Diwali season. But to our pleasant surprise and great joy, the demand for our Hyderabadi specialities like ashrafi, badam ki jaali and jouzi halwa is sky high this year, especially among youngsters. We are swarmed with orders for the next 10 days,” says Majji, excitedly, adding, “It makes us happy when people ask for our special items, because that’s what makes us stand out in this city where you get barfis and laddus in every street. We have been making traditional sweets for the last 100 years, but usually the clientele for that is just a loyal few who consider themselves connoisseurs of Hyderabadi cuisine. In the past few years, we have been coming up with more innovations to introduce classic Hyderabadi sweets like jouzi halwa, ashrafi and dum ka puraan and their rich history to the younger lot. Jouzi halwa, for instance, used to be the last Nizam’s favourite dessert. We’re delighted to see that more people are going for these sweets again.”

Hussain Mohammed, who owns Mohammedi Confectioners at

Patthar Ghati

in Old City, agrees that this Diwali Hyderabadi classics have been flying off his shelves. “We also have orders every single day, all the way up to Diwali. We are doing our bit to reciprocate the interest by bringing in new variants. Chandi ki ashrafi, for instance, is normally light brown or cream in colour. However, we have given them a colourful twist to make it appealing for the kids. This time our chandi ki ashrafis are available in blue, light pink, green and orange.”

He adds, “Badam ke jaali, cham cham and jauzi zafran are some of the most popualar sweets during the festive season. Many people are also asking for sugarless zafrani sweets. In fact, we are receiving bulk orders for sugar-free sweets, which is something that’s never happened before.”

NRIs who long for a taste of home, opt for Hyderabadi sweets this Diwali
It’s not just Hyderabadis who are opting for authentic sweets from the City of Nizams. People living abroad also order these sweets in bulk. “A large portion of our customer base includes people who have grown up eating authentic Hyderabadi sweets and shifted to different countries. During the festive season, we receive bulk orders from countries like USA, Canada, Kuwait, Denmark, the UK and Australia. Sweets like ashrafi, badam ki jaali and puran puri are the favourites for Hyderabadi NRIs,” explains

Sayed Aliuddin

, who owns Imperial Sweets at Noor Khan Bazar.

Some of the sweet outlets have even prepared special hampers for their international customers. “These gift hampers include most of the traditional Hyderabadi sweets, including gulguley malida and badam lauz. Some of our specials like meethe samosa, zarda and seviyon ka meetha also feature in this hamper and are a huge hit with the NRI crowd,” says Aamir Baig, Managing Director, Meethe Miya in Banjara Hills, credited for reinventing Hyderabadi sweets in a gourmet way.

Surge in demand for qubani ka meetha and

shahi tukda

for festival day
While people opt for all kinds of sweets in the lead up to the festival, on the festival day, sweets such as qubani ka meetha and double ka meetha sell like hot cakes. Zareena Begum, who runs Mom’s Kitchen in Tolichowki, says, “Usually, one day before Diwali or on the day of the festival, customers prefer to have desserts like shahi tukda, qubani ka meetha and halwa-puri. This year, too, I have received several orders for these dishes for Diwali.”

She adds, “Usually, my food orders triple during the festive season but the unprecedented demand for Hyderabadi sweets this year means that I will be focusing more on desserts and less on main course items. It’s great to see people taking such a keen interest in traditional Hyderabadi sweets.”

Picture Courtesy : Meethe Miya Sweets, Banjara Hills

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