A tradition carried
across the sea

Irani tea arrived in Hyderabad a century ago, carried by travellers from Persia. What began as a simple cup slowly became a way of life — slow mornings, long conversations, and a pot that never quite empties.

Here, beside the Qutub Shahi Masjid, the ritual is unchanged. The chai is brewed strong with cardamom, decanted twice, and poured hot into a glass. The buns are pressed on the tawa each day with a generous slab of butter.

Our tables are marble, our chairs are plain, and nobody is rushed. Students revise here. Neighbours argue about cricket here. Families come after Isha for one last cup before the shutters come down at midnight.

The kitchen is run by Syed Jaffar, who keeps the same recipe he was taught — no shortcuts, no powdered mixes, just tea leaves, milk, cardamom and patience.