After pearls and Biryani and yes of course Charminar, something that is synonymous with the city of Hyderabad is the Irani Chai. Take a tour of any part of the city and you will see people sipping cups of hot creamy Irani Chai. Be it morning or afternoon or evening or night, Hyderabadis can be seen gathering around any Chai stall having their never ending discussion over cups and cups of Irani Chai.
Irani Chai is mostly served with Irani Samosa or Osmania Biscuits which are another speciality of Hyderabad.
Irani Chai are of various kinds. Most popular of all is the Khade Chammach ki chai.The Chai is called so because of the extreme sweetness. Apparently, one cup of Chai contains almost half a cup of sugar so much that the spoon can stand straight when inserted! There is one kind called as Burkhe wali chai which contains a thick layer of cream over the tea. Other flavours like Masala Chai, Kashmiri tea, Golden tea, Special tea are also worth trying.
Some of the popular places which you can visit if interested in trying out the best Irani Chai are Madina near Charminar, Garden in Secunderabad, Cosmopolitan in Narayanguda, Bombay Bakery in Abids, Grand in Abids, Embassy in Basheerbagh and Alpha in Secunderabad. If looking for the real taste of hyderabadi life, don’t go visiting luxury hotels and restaurants but to the road side stalls and eateries selling out some most authentic and delicious delicacies of the city.
