Hyderabad is famous & well chronicled for its dum biriyani¡¯s & Nizami non veg cuisine. There¡¯s more to this city, whose last Nizam was the richest person in the world in his time.

India is spectacularly secular. Despite the bonhomie between various religions,  You find that  in every city there are  some hotels and sweet shops patronised by people of a particular religion only. Going by my ¡°biased mind¡± - Hameed Confectioners ¨C the sweet shop  at Nampally would never have been in my visit list. It¡¯s only the word¡± Nizam¡± on their boards, that  took me in;

It was started by a Turkish boy, 120 years back at the same location where it stands today. The chief ingredient in its most famous offering -  the Jouzi Halwa - was imported  & may not classify exactly as desi. But when it survives 120 years in India, it is a reason to celebrate it as an Indian success & that is why the shop makes it to our list.

Hameed Confectioners  has no branches. The simple shop ¨C that was named so by the Nizam ruler who on hearing about its popularity, visited the shop  to taste the Jouzi Halwa. Since then the shop supplies sweets to the royal family. Nizam's decree in Urdu -was given in the Arabic year of 1365 ( English year 1944)

Jouzi Halwa is made over a 10 hour duration & consists of anything exotic you can imagine, milk,  loads of ghee, sugar, dry fruits, saffron The taste is so rich and heavy  that 100 grams is sufficient to replace your dinner.

 I tasted it on the first day & by the next day evening, I was badly  longing for that texture & taste. I mutely followed my mind to the shop- just like Mary¡¯s lamb that followed her to school. Even the distance did not deter me.

Their other sweets: badam halwa,  motichur laddoo etc¡­are also equally relishable.

Jouzi Yeh dil maange more!!