Hyderabad’s Irani hotels keep chai legacy alive with timeless taste and tradition

Hyderabad’s iconic Irani hotels, founded by Iranian immigrants in the 19th century, remain beloved for their signature Irani chai and nostalgic charm. With timeless interiors and snacks like Osmania biscuits and Dilkush, these cafés continue to preserve a unique cultural heritage.

Hyderabad: Irani Hotels have a decades old connection with the city. Set up by Iranians who had migrated miles-away from Iran to India in the late 19th century, these hotels continue to retain their popularity for the Irani chai.

Some of the most popular Irani Hotels were at Gunfoundry, Secunderabad, Madina Building, Hill Fort Road, and Abid Shop among other locations in the city.

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Now priced at Rs. 25, a cup is served in 80 ml and 90 ml cups while at restaurants that have dining facilities, the beverage is served in 110 ml cup. In yesteryears, these hotels maintained uniformity with wooden chairs, huge wooden or marble tables, designer glass jars and glasses arranged in trays.

“People used to hang around for hours at popular hotels referred to as restaurants or cafes. A few cafes had music player systems that played popular Bollywood numbers of Mohd Rafi, Kishore Kumar, Sehgal and Lata Mangeshkar,” recalls Mohd Irshad, a retired government official now in his late 70s.

Alongside the chai the hotels offered snacks such as Dilkush, Fine Biscuit, Osmania Biscuit, Kheema Luqmi and Naan Katai.

Pauna: The beverage in which milk is three quarters and tea infusion one quarter. Hotels charge Rs. 5 more for the Pauna against the regular chai.

Decoction: A tea decoction is a type of herbal tea made by simmering the tougher plant parts of a medical herb (such as the roots, barks, rhizomes, seeds, nibs, etc.) in hot water, for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Masala Chai: Masala chai is a popular beverage originating from South Asia. It is made by brewing black tea (usually crushed, tear, curl) in milk and water, and then by sweetening it with sugar. Adding aromatic herbs and spices creates masala chai.

Lemon Tea: Lemon tea is a form of black tea to which lemon juice and sugar or jaggery is added. Adding lemon juice to the tea not only enhances the flavour but also gives the tea a different colour.