Hyderabad
is not only for Dum ki Biryani, Iranii Chai, Osmania Biscuit, Irani Samosa with
Hari Mirchi, Khoobani ka Meetha. Hyderabad has one more magical flavored treat
,that is : “Handmade
‘Real’ Hyderabadi ice Cream”.
Moazzam
Jahi Market has grown up as a largest hub of this Handmade ‘Real’ Hyderabadi ice cream. The open space
next to the market is lined up with plastic chairs, and always has a crowd
enjoying these Handmade Ice creams.
Moazzam
Jahi market, named after Prince Moazzam Jah, the second son of the last Nizam,
was constructed around 80 years ago using granite stones and has a clock tower
to boot.
The vision behind the Moazzam Jahi Market
was to offer ‘universal stores’ like in the West where people can buy
everything under one roof. However, over the years the structure, made of
granite stone and lime plaster, deteriorated. The main circular courtyard,
which houses several kirana shops, has been restored under the first phase of
the work. ‘Ittar’ stores at the market’s exterior side facing the road, and
grocery shops at its interior are fully functional.
Moazzam
Jahi markets have many shops now, but most well-known among these are the old
ice cream outlets; serving hand churned seasonal fruit ice creams loved by one
and all. From a time much
before the proliferation of modern ice creams, these hand churned ice creams
had made a name for themselves in Hyderabad.
In
1951, Mohammed Haleem set up an ice cream shop at Moazzam Jahi Market known as
Famous Ice Cream, which really caught the fancy of Hyderabadis for offering
fruit ice creams at affordable rates.
The handmade ice creams are prepared
using fresh fruit pulp, along with milk and sugar. Mango, litchi, sapota,
custard apple, fig and muskmelon are some of the seasonal fruits which provide
a touch of variety during different parts of the year. Unlike the modern ice
creams, the variety from Moazzam Jahi Market lacks a little creaminess.
However,
they retain the original fruit flavors very well and given their
value-for-money pricing emerge as clear winners.
You
can find a range of ice creams that ranges from mango, strawberry to chocolate.
In fact you have an elaborate rang of chocolate ice creams here. Also try the
ice cream shakes and ice cream soda with mixed flavors that will remain on
your tongue for a long time.
Apart from Famous, the other three places
who are sought-after are Bilal, Gafoor, and Shah. The ice creams, which are
also known locally as pot ice creams, are usually prepared in the shops itself
and has pricing as low as `35. Over a period of time, with competition from
many modern ice cream parlours in the city, as well as national ice cream
brands launched in Hyderabad, some of the shops have started offering sundaes
and frozen desserts too.
It
does sound like an alien term but what you get in there is exactly an ice cream
lover’s dream. So this is how the process goes, you choose your flavors, the
topping (which has delicious salted almond nuts, cashew nuts, gummy bears,
gems, chocolate sticks, chocolate fudge, chocolate sauce, blueberry sauces,
strawberry sauces and so on), then they weigh the cup you have purchased and
bill you accordingly. They have no concept of a cone. They do make a mean cup
of ice cream cakes too.
True to its name, the ice cream offered here are all fresh with
seasonal fruits and you can actually find bits and pieces of your flavour
choosen. I actually found mango, Sitaphal,Anjeer,Jmun,lichi, chikoo, muskmelon, watermelon,
coconut with such similar taste that it felt as if you are the actually eating
a fruit which is frozen. It does have a nice little place to sit where you can
enjoy a quiet time with yourself.
The
cold stone ice cream is the most wanted thing these days and there are numerous
number of places that serve it. It’s exciting to see the whole mixing process
on the counter with the flavors of your choice! Give a treat to your taste buds
by trying out the various flavors they have to offer.
The
menu is categorized into Regular Flavors, Special Flavors, Real Fruit
Ice-creams, Sorbet, Special Faluda, Stick Kulfi, Cassata, Stone Sundae,
Ice-cream Cakes, Fruit Cream, Italian Gelato, Sundaes, Ice-cream Sodas, Shakes,
Special Shakes, Real Fruit Shakes and Diet and Lite Shakes.
Production
of the ice creams has also become mechanized with use of a motor for churning.
Some of the products even come from factories set up by these shops away from
their location.
Inexplicably,
none of them have yet set up shop in the cash-rich Cyberabad. However, people
throng here still to get the old world charm of the place and enjoy the
traditional fruit ice creams, especially during summer and the holy month of
Ramzan.
A little away from this part of the city,
tucked away in a narrow lane of Sindhi colony is another ice cream haunt, Sri
Radhe. If you judge the place by its name, then you will certainly miss the
creamy, natural flavoured ice creams. “natural ice creams. Ice creams made out
of custard apple, black plums or chappan bhog are extremely popular among our
customers,” says Ajay Mehta the manager of the shop. They have another outlet
in Abids.
Even
the afternoon sun doesn’t deter some of the customers from enjoying the fruit
salad ice cream. Many prefer to sit inside their autos while enjoying their ice
creams.
So this summer, maybe its time to move away
from Bavarian chocolates or choco rocco and explore the local ice cream
flavours. You will be surprised with what the city has to offer.
The End
