New Delhi, Nov. 7 -- Tea and biscuits evoke either a very British image-a floral china tea set and an assortment of jam-filled biscuits, hobnobs and Marie-or the everyday Indian kadak chai with Parle G served at a roadside stall. But, in Hyderabad, tea and biscuits take on multiple roles and an integral part of the city's food culture. A cup of Irani chai with Osmania biscuits is how people begin their day. The toasty khara biscuit acts as a mid-day snack. Even weddings are incomplete without the indulgent dum ka roat.

"Hyderabad's Irani bakery culture is unique. We don't make too many kinds of breads unlike Mumbai, where pav or bun is very popular. Instead we take pride in our biscuits, and each one is different from the other," says Yu...