Irani café explained

Irani cafés are Iranian-style cafés in the Indian subcontinent.[1] [2] They were originally opened by Zoroastrian Irani immigrants to British India in the 19th century, fleeing Safavid persecution or looking for better economic prospects.[3] In India, Mumbai, Pune and Hyderabad boast a number of Irani cafés, which are very popular for Irani chai (tea).[4] [5] In the 1950s, there were 350 Irani cafés in Mumbai; only 25 remained in the city as of 2005. Meanwhile, in Hyderabad, it is estimated that the number of Irani cafés has shrank from 450 in the 2000s to 125 in 2024.[6] Karachi, Pakistan, was also home to many Irani cafés.[7] [8]

History

They were originally opened by Zoroastrian Irani immigrants to British India in the 19th century after they fled from Safavid persecution in West and Central Asia.[9]

Writing for the Hindu Business Line, on "Mumbai's Irani hotspots", Sarika Mehta stated, "The classic format of these cafes is basic with a subtle colonial touch; high ceilings with black, bent wooden chairs (now cane in some cafes), wooden tables with marble tops and glass jars that allow a peek into the goodies they hold. With huge glass mirrors on the walls to create a feeling of space, visitors are greeted with eagerness and a whiff of baking. The speed of operations is impressive and service quite hassle-free."[10]

Fare

Irani cafés may serve bun maska (bread and butter)[11] or brun-maska (hard buttered croissants),[12] [13] and paani kam chai (a strong Iranian tea, 'tea with less water'), or khari chai (very strong tea), mutton samosas, and kheema pav (minced meat served in bread rolls), akuri (scrambled eggs and vegetables), berry pulao, vegetable puff, vegetarian/chicken dhansak (a spiced lentil dish with meat and vegetables) and biryani, cherry cream custard, cheese khari biscuits, plain khari biscuits, coconut jam and milk biscuits and Duke's raspberry drink.

Many Irani cafés offer sweet and salted biscuits[14] like rawa (semolina), til-rawa coconut, nankhatai (sweet, crisp flaky Irani biscuits), Madeira cake (tutti-frutti biscuits).

Cultural references

Nissim Ezekiel wrote a poem based on instruction boards found in his favourite Irani café: the defunct Bastani and Company in Dhobi Talao, Mumbai.[15]

In 2020 Neeraj Udhwani made the film Maska.

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Jayshree Bajoria . India's Iranian cafes fading out . 27 April 2005 . BBC News . 2007-12-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071008115339/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4485523.stm . 8 October 2007 . dead . dmy-all .
  2. Web site: Parsi Cafes, A Centuries-Old Tradition In India, Are Vanishing. NPR.org. en. 2020-03-14. 12 July 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190712223124/https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/06/02/711946179/parsi-cafes-a-centuries-old-tradition-in-india-are-vanishing. live.
  3. Emigration of Iranian Elites to India during the 16-18th centuries . 2013-12-17 . Haneda . Masashi . Cahiers d'Asie Centrale . October 1997 . 3/4 . 129–143 . 14 July 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130714180857/http://asiecentrale.revues.org/480 . live .
  4. News: Quintessentially Hyderabadi—Irani Tea . 6 March 2015 . New Indian Express . 20 November 2017 . 24 September 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160924025426/http://www.newindianexpress.com/lifestyle/food/Quintessentially-Hyderabadi%E2%80%94Irani-Tea/2015/03/05/article2699181.ece . dead .
  5. Web site: Naomi Lobo . 20 May 2007 . Irani cafés: Inheritance of loss . India Express . 2007-12-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120206100038/http://www.fravahr.org/spip.php?breve260 . 6 February 2012 . dead . mdy-all .
  6. Web site: 2024-08-12. Hyderabad: Why Irani cafes in this Indian city are dying out. www.bbc.com.
  7. News: Where have the Iranian restaurants gone?. Dawn. 26 July 2015. 26 July 2015. 28 July 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150728205214/http://www.dawn.com/news/1196370. live.
  8. News: Looking back at Karachi's Irani cafe culture. Dawn. 10 September 2016. 10 September 2016. Asif. Noorani. 10 September 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160910142212/http://images.dawn.com/news/1176209/looking-back-at-karachis-irani-cafe-culture. live.
  9. News: Irani cafes make a millenial comeback. Krishna. Anubhuti. 2018-06-28. The Hindu. 2019-05-31. en-IN. 0971-751X. 5 July 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180705132940/https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/food/irani-cafes-make-a-millienial-comeback/article24280012.ece. live.
  10. Web site: The Hindu Business Line : Mumbai's Irani hotspots. https://web.archive.org/web/20071002220028/http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/life/2006/10/06/stories/2006100600020100.htm. 2007-10-02. dead. 2007-12-24.
  11. Book: Miguel, H.S. . Mumbai . Intellect Books . Intellect Books - World Film Locations Series . 2012 . 978-1-84150-632-6 . id . 21 February 2018 . 58 . 11 August 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230811082957/https://books.google.com/books?id=Q0_v3jr6TCAC&pg=PA58 . live .
  12. Web site: Alvida, Brun-Maska Outlook India Magazine. Koppikar. Smruti. 28 March 2005. Outlook India. 2020-03-14. 5 November 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221105065015/https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/alvida-brun-maska/226888. live.
  13. News: Noronha. Paul. Bye-bye to Brun maska?. 2012-10-27. The Hindu. 2020-03-14. en-IN. 0971-751X. 30 August 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210830092952/https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/leisure/byebye-to-brun-maska/article4034217.ece. live.
  14. Book: Damle, J.Y. . Pune: Tradition to Market: a Study of Changing Trends in Consumption with Special Reference to Service Sector in Hotel Industry . Kalpaz Publications . 2011 . 978-81-7835-895-6 . 21 February 2018 . 117.
  15. Web site: Sunanda Sudhir. newsblog.aol. 2007-12-25. 11 January 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080111155431/http://newsblog.aol.in/bloggers/sunanda-sudhir/. dead.

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