Hyderabad: Osmania Biscuit is considered the world’s first biscuit to receive royal patronage. This tasty biscuit is considered a favourite snack.
Activist and historian Captain Pandu Ranga Reddy while narrating the story of Osmania Biscuits said that the 7th Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan once visited the historical Osmania General Hospital at around 4 o’clock in the evening. He had inquired from the admitted patients and their attendants whether they were given food on time. On which the patients informed the Nizam that milk and breakfast were served in the morning, lunch in the afternoon and dinner in the night. Observing the gap between lunch and dinner. His Excellency directed the administration of Osmania Hospital to give biscuits to the patients as snacks at 4 o’clock.
At that time, the culinary experts were called to prepare a patient friendly biscuit that should be a little sweet, salty and soft that can be served as a snack. Following the order, culinary experts prepared a biscuit containing butter, sugar, custard powder, soda, cardamom powder, saffron milk using white wheat flour and it was named Osmania Biscuits.
When Osmania Biscuit was presented to Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan he liked it and ordered the administration to get it included in the evening snacks. In this way, Osmania Biscuit is the first biscuit in the world that has been patronized by an imperial government.
Just like Hyderabadi Biryani, Haleem, Baghare Baigan, Chai and Qubani desert are famous all over the world for their delicious taste, Osmania Biscuits have also gained global fame.
