Think Hyderabadis are the ultimate Biryani fans? Well, think again, as a contender from Mumbai has joined the race.
A Mumbai-based chef, Velton Saldanha, just set a new gold standard for “Biryani devotion”. After a 12-day trip in Hyderabad, Saldanha was returning home with biryani worth Rs. 5000, only to be met with a Rs. 4200 excess baggage fee at the Hyderabad airport.
He did what any sane person would do. He paid the fee and carried back home biryani worth Rs. 9200.
A small price for a family tradition
For Saldanha, the founder of Chutney Colletcive, the steep price tag was secondary to a personal mission. Speaking to Moneycontrol, he explained that he travels to Hyderabad every few months to bring back biryani for his father, who has never experienced the city’s iconic food scene.
These “biryani runs”, initially meant for his father, eventually expanded to his friends, resulting in a haul so heavy that it tipped his luggage over the airline’s limit. He travelled from Hyderabad to Pune and then to his home in Mumbai.
According to the report, Saldanha admitted he did not initially realise the food would push his luggage into the “excess” category. However, once the fee was presented at the check-in counter, he did not hesitate. To him, discarding the food would have been a greater loss than paying the surcharge.
Despite his own mother calling him “insane” for the expenditure, the chef maintains that the satisfaction of sharing the meal with his loved ones made it “a small price to pay”.
Saldanha’s favourite biryani in Hyderabad
In an Instagram carousel post that has now gone viral, Saldanha shared this amusing story along with the selection of biryanis he enjoyed during his Hyderabad trip. The list of biryanis he’d fly back for included Nalli Ghosht Biryani at Krishna’s Kitchen, Safed Biryani at Savya, Nalli Ghosht Biryani at Antera, Chicken Biryani at Tosh-e-Daan, Sufiyani Biryani at Voila F9 Gourmet, Lamb Shank Dindigul Biryani at Monastery, and Nalli Ghosht Biryani at Telangana Spice Kitchen.
His love for biryani is also reflected in another Instagram reel where he shared a Hyderabadi wedding cook’s recipe for a good, authentic biryani.
Rise of food tourism in Hyderabad
Chef Velton Saldanha’s story is not an isolated incident. In the past few years, Hyderabad has seen a massive influx of “food pilgrims” from across India and abroad who plan entire itineraries around the local eateries of Hyderabad. From international names like Sarah Todd, Gary Mehigan, Mark Wiens and Khalid Al Ameri to popular Indian personalities like Ranveer Brar, Ashish Vidyarthi, Kamiya Jani, Rocky Singh and Kunal Vijayakar, Hyderabad has been a go-to culinary destination for many.
In fact, many popular YouTubers and influencers have started taking one-day trips to Hyderabad just to experience the food here. With local experts like Mohd Zubair Ali, Dr Ahmed Ashfaq, Vishal Fernandes and many more turning narrow lanes into viral destinations, Hyderabad has officially transitioned from a stopover city to a primary bucket-list item for the world’s most dedicated food enthusiasts.
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