Nostalgia Doubles Craving for Hometown Taste

Anthony Bourdain once said, “Food is everything to us… your personal history, your state, your region, your tribe, your grandmother.” A customer in Canada and the opening of a Hyderabad bakery on East London’s Romford Road this week have given the phrase a distinctly Hyderabadi form; both went viral on the internet.

The customer ordered a tray of chicken dum biryani and in pure Dakhini and Hyderabadi parlance, demanded double masala, double god and a flavor that would remind him of Charminar; The store in London has added Osmania biscuits, fruit biscuits, curry puffs, Dilkhush and Double ka Meetha to its menu.

“Biryani Hyderabadi style bana hona, biryani ke naam pe pulao nakko bhejo,” Imtiaz Ghulam said in the customer note, according to Instagram user @samawiak, who describes herself as husband and author. Although the reference has not been verified, the note asked for double masala, double meat, freshly prepared dum biryani and enough food for “bhukkads” on the table, which caught the attention of many. “Allah ka wasta hai” and “aapku aapke amma ki kasam” were also added. The customer then warned that he would seek a refund if the flavor failed.

The humor was about accuracy as it leaves little room for the customer to interpret what “Hyderabadi style” means to the kitchen. Sama claimed the food was from Hyderabad Biryani House Calgary, which announced it would open on June 6, and its line read: “Taste of Hyderabad, Now in Calgary.”

With the opening of Hyderabad to London Bakers on Romford Road, described as Europe’s first Hyderabadi bakery, the same demand emerged in London with a different menu.

The menu lists Osmania biscuits, fruit biscuits, coconut cookies, curry puffs, chicken rolls, Thin Biscuits, Dilkhush, Dilpasand, Double ka Meetha and jam rolls; all of which are associated with the disappearing Persian cafes and old neighborhood bakeries in Hyderabad. These little treats are important because people often miss a specific version of a dish that becomes known through repetition rather than the general idea.

“It sounds funny, but your longing for your hometown is real. You can find every fancy cuisine in a metro city, but only your neighborhood chaat wala bhaiya knows exactly how you like your pani puri. Only your father knows which small restaurant makes your favorite Chinese food,” said Deepanita G., who came to Hyderabad from Nagpur for work. His thought explains why in Calgary the words “Hyderabadi style” require a full paragraph of instruction.

Karthikaya A., born and raised in Hyderabad, read the note from Chennai and said: “I’ll take this as an excuse to rant about the ‘biryani’ here.” He also described the note he wrote to the Calgary restaurant as a very eye-catching and to-the-point note, as if it reflected exactly what he felt on a daily basis.

The price of Biryani was also a part of various discussions on the internet.

One social media user wrote, “So you don’t want to spend $68 on pulao, right?” he wrote. This once again shows that those who miss the taste of home cooking abroad do not hesitate to pay extra to get the authentic taste.

“I paid 700 to eat authentic Kolkata biryani when I was in Mumbai, so I totally understand,” added Tuhina Chatterjee, who currently works in Hyderabad.

Bourdain’s “personal history” remains in the details of all this from the beginning. “khaye toh Charminar ki yaad aajana,” the Calgary shopper wrote, which is exactly what most people displaced from their hometowns are looking for.