Hyderabad, September 05: Hyderabad is famous for its customs and traditions and when it comes to food Biryani and Hyderabadi Haleem.
The famous and nutritious dish Haleem available during the holy month of Ramadan will soon get the Hyderabadi tag akin to Darjeeling Tea, Banarasi Silk and Tirupati Laddu.
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Once the Geographical Indicator (GI) tag is granted, Haleem makers outside Hyderabad will not be able to sell their product as Hyderabadi Haleem and even those within the city can claim the GI tag only if they meet the quality standards.
It can be called Hyderabadi Haleem only if the maker follows the prescribed standards. “For example, it has to be goat meat, cooked in pure ghee and the cooking has to be done over firewood for 12 hours. You can’t cook on gas and claim the GI tag,” said association president Mohammed Abdul Majeed.
Majeed, whose Pista House food joint is the largest Haleem maker in Hyderabad, hopes that the GI tag would help protect the popular dish.
“It is very difficult to make other Haleem makers understand its importance,” said Majeed, who has 246 outlets in Hyderabad selling the mouth-watering dish.
Pista House this year tied up with leading transport company Gati to make Haleem available in all major cities in India and even in the Gulf countries.
Haleem, with ghee, meat and wheat flour as its main ingredients, is as popular in Hyderabad as the famous Biryani. For many, Ramadan is incomplete without Haleem. Even the non-Muslims relish it at thousands of hotels and eateries across the city.
It is estimated that during Ramadan, the eateries in Hyderabad sell Haleem worth Rs.one billion. The dish is available in a number of varieties like beef, mutton, chicken and dry fruits with different other ingredients. There is also a vegetarian Haleem.