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Connoisseurs of food all over the world have had a special
corner for Hyderabadi and Mughlai food. In Hyderabad's 400
year history the Hyderabadi
cuisine has, like its culture, stood high
and unmatched by any other place in the Indian subcontinent.
In fact, Hyderabad is known for the spectacular way its aristocracy
entertained. The erstwhile rulers of Hyderabad were connoisseurs
of food and insisted that their cooks lay out elaborate ten-course
meals on a daily basis. The Hyderabadis do have rather unusual
ways of seasoning their food. Hyderabadi
cuisine is a distinct dialogue in food, based
on the traditional method of combining the sour and the sweet,
the hot and the salty. Hyderabad has taken the highly developed
and refined Mughal cuisine of the North and imbibed it with
the zesty sauces and spices of the South to create a vast
and seductive repertoire quite its own. Hyderabadi
food, as it has come to be known, like the
city's culture, heritage and language, is a melange of several
influences--Hindu, Muslim, North, South, Indian and foreign.
As they say here, food is best created with fursat and mohabbat--with
time and love. Being devoted to Hyderabad means being devoted
to food. Here, food is not just something to fill the stomach;
it is the very essence of life. The quintessential Hyderabadi
is known for his nawabi lifestyle--a gracious but rather laid-back
way of life. But when it comes to food, the Hyderabadis won't
tolerate any laziness and have very exacting standards. |
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