Telangana: New Tastes Relegate Traditional Sweets For Weddings
Jouzi Halwa and Badam ki Jali were royal desserts and were preferred by only around 10 per cent of customers: Mujju Khan, owner of Rose Bakery at Chaderghat
HYDERABAD: With a change in tastes and preferences among people, and new sweets hitting the market, traditional Hyderabadi desserts such as Jouzi Halwa, Ande ka Meetha and Badam ki Jali are slowly disappearing from sweet shops in the city. Unlike popular favourites such as Qubani ka Meetha, Double ka Meetha and Shahi Tukda, these traditional sweets are now mostly prepared for weddings, family events and other special occasions.
Manager Syed Ishaq Ahmed at the 125-year-old Hameedi Confectionery said Jouzi, Tikkiya, Badam ki Jali, Pista, Puran Puri and coconut sweets dated back to the Nizam era. Jouzi Halwa, he added, was a favourite delicacy of the last Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan. A few people who are familiar with these sweets continue to buy them, but those who try them once often return for more, he said, adding that awareness among the younger generation on traditional sweets has declined.
Mujju Khan, owner of Rose Bakery at Chaderghat, said Jouzi Halwa and Badam ki Jali were royal desserts and were preferred by only around 10 per cent of customers. In contrast, Double ka Meetha and Qubani ka Meetha were affordable and have become a regular part of family functions, he said.
Newer desserts such as Badam Kund, Malai Rabdi and Apricot Pudding are increasingly being added to the choices available, said Syed Irfan, owner of Subhan Bakery.
Historian Mohd Safiullah said Qubani ka Meetha, Double ka Meetha and Khubani ka Kheer were commonly prepared as the ingredients are easily available and the recipes are not complicated. Several sweet shops have also introduced newer varieties of sweets such as Turkish Baklava, Habiba and Kunafa.
Anuradha Reddy, convener of the Hyderabad branch of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach), said these Hyderabad traditional sweets were still served at some functions, but many people are unaware of them.
"Not all can make these sweets. The expertise required to make some of these sweets has declined, though a few places in parts of the Old City continue to prepare them," she said, adding that traditional Hyderabadi sweets have not disappeared completely but remain an important part of the city’s culture.
