Lets talk about Food, People and Hospitality
Food:
Let’s talk about food. India is known for its curries, naans and you guessed it Biriyanis. Most notably, Hyderabad Biriyani. Being a foodie myself I couldn’t contain my enthusiasm when I was planning my Hyderabad trip. I had already spoken to a few friends who hail from the city about the restaurants and the cuisines I must try in order to satisfy my taste buds. I was fortunate enough to visit and try food from some of the local favorites to theme-based restaurants that catered to dress code and adhering guests. As for dessert, you can have your pick from local delicacies made of milk with sugar or Jaggery with flan texture called “Junnu” to sophisticated deserts made with multi-layered flavor paradise that requires artisan precision to pull of the presentation. Was in flavor town and was not going to waste my time with name-sake American cuisines which have gotten accustomed in the past decade. Some of the places i tried which I would most definitely recommend are Srikanya Comfort, Fisherman’s Wharf, Spicy Venue, Exotica, Paradise Biriyani, and Shaad Biriyani House.
People:
One of the most common themes across India is how hospitable people are to you. It’s no exception for Hyderabad. But I was particularly interested to see how little people’s beliefs impacted this ability to have a normal conversation. Throughout my trip, I came across people hailing from all across India calling Hyderabad their home. I saw people being courteous, curious, helpful, passionate, entrepreneurial, and most importantly ambitious in whatever they are doing. They can spot a foreigner from a mile away. They are keen observers of change in behavior, and quick to react, whether it is to help or to confront. But being in India means, everything is amplified 10X doesn’t matter the situation. Always in a hurry to get somewhere even if they don’t have anything planned for the next 24 hours. It’s an amazing city where people find a common heartbeat for their favorite sport, Cricket at any time of the day. I even came across some celebrities who stayed in my hotels when they came down to see a cricket match between the Indian and Australian teams held at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad. Everyone wants to drive for Uber but dislikes their delayed payment. Cash still rules, but prefer digital currently. The people of Hyderabad never failed to amaze me throughout my entire visit to Hyderabad.
Hospitality:
There is a popular statement Indian use called, “Athidhi Devo Bhava”. The statement means you treat your guests like gods. If you didn’t know it yet, religion pretty much runs this part of the world. All the celebrations or conflicts have in part something to do with religion. Hospitality at decent hotels is expected to be good. There is always a motivation of tips involved when staff interacts with you. On a related note, tips are not customary but when people want you to tip them, they will not hesitate to ask you and tell you how much you should tip them without any ounce of fear or shame. You can get pretty much a king’s treatment if you are more than an average spender. People like to treat to through gifts, snacks, or lunches on every occasion they can. Birthday parties are given by the person who celebrates them [ FYI, it’s the opposite in the US. Birthday Boy/Girl gets the treat. ] People welcome strangers into their homes without hesitation if they have a reasonable assumption that you are well put together. They love talking about anything and everything to keep them entertained and they expect the same from everyone around them.
It’s been fun Hyderabad, until next time.
Roy D.