About Hyderabad

Food

• Flavor: Strong, Highly spicy
• Popular dishes: Hyderabadi Biryani, Haleem, Khubaani Ka Meetha, Double Ka Meetha, Irani Chai, Kebabs

Hyderabadi cuisine is highly spicy - one of the hottest foods in the Indian Subcontinent. The most popular dish of Hyderabad is the famous Hyderabadi Biryani.

Other popular foods include Haleem, Khubani ka Meetha, Double ka Meetha, Kebabs, and the ever popular Irani chai.

If you are a foodie at heart and like to experience the true taste of the city, we would suggest you to stop by at the roadside local joints and taste the flavors of this spicy aromatic city.

If you are a tea lover, one cup at a roadside tea stall would only be sufficient to tickle your taste buds. With a single teacup costing about Rs. 2 per cup with dimensions about 2 inches high and half an inch of radius, you would definitely need at least two of such cups of tasty tea to warm your gut.

For working professionals who live or work near around Madhapur or Hitech City, a very popular yet inconspicuous food joint, Hot Rottis, can provide you the warm and home like treatment that long hours of our professional life denies us. Located on a small terrace of an average looking house, Hot Rottis serves a buffet meal for as low as Rs. 35 a plate. And yes, they also accept Sodexho passes!

Ginger Court on the main Madhapur road, en route Hi-tech City, is one place where your requests for less spicy or even spice-less food are duly honored and complied with. If you are a person with mild tastes or have children who aren’t accustomed to the spices of this land, Ginger Court is the place to be. With provisions for valet parking and a wonderful roof top seating arrangement, it is a welcoming treat for the tongue and the mind!

Weather

The best season to visit the city is September to March. With the temperatures rising from March, hitting the peak of summers in May-June, and reducing but still remaining warm until August, summers are not the best time if you come from a colder place. The rains begin around July and go on until November.  If you happen to venture out in the summer heat, do remember to carry an umbrella and your bottle of water. The umbrella should be your companion in the July-November stretch too, as the unpredictable rains can shower their blessings anytime!

Dress

With the temperature ranging from moderate to warm and humidity levels on the higher side, it is advisable and preferred to wear light weight and pure cotton clothing, though not very light in color, as the rains are pretty unpredictable.

Anything that is cool, comfortable, and covers you the maximum is good. For women, it is best not to wear skimpy or exposing dresses as that may attract undesirable stares and comments. Being fully covered also helps to protect you against the mosquito menace, which inhabits several sections of the city. With health issues like Chicken Guniya and other mosquito-related epidemics, carrying a mosquito repellant cream (such as Odomos) or lotion always with you will definitely be helpful.

Culture

Though people from all cultures and states have been trickling in owing to the growing IT industry or other reasons, majority of the population comprises simple, traditional, and conservative Hyderabadis. So to avoid any uncalled for remarks or rude stares, it is best for women to remain covered and expose as little as possible.

Before entering a Hyderabadi house, it is a practice and custom to leave one's footwear outside the main door. This also prevents any dirt along with your foowear entering the homes that the women of the house keep clean and pure so diligently.

Language

Common languages spoken in Hyderabad include:

• Telugu
• Urdu
• English
• Hindi

Majority of the population here speak Telugu and find it difficult to understand Hindi or English. So if you are not familiar with the Italian of the East (another reference for Telugu), you may find it quite a challenge to communicate your basic needs to the localites, especially household helpers, watchmen, and local shopkeepers etc. This may also prove to be a challenge for you when you want to hire household help.