Haleem sales having begun, Hyderabad’s love for meat is on full display. A recently published survey on meat consumption behaviour only affirms through numbers that denizens are more regular consumers of livestock than inhabitants of the country’s capital.
Published in the journal Livestock Research for Rural Development , the survey found that nearly 30 per cent of Hyderabadis surveyed responded to eating mutton regularly as against 7.3 percent surveyed in New Delhi. While just about 6.6 per cent of Delhiites surveyed said that they regularly consumed poultry meat, 55.85 per cent in Hyderabad affirmed they regularly ate chicken. Contrastingly, just about one-sixth of those surveyed in Hyderabad said they eat chicken ‘sometimes’ as against 58.09 percent in the capital.
Part of food culture
“Historically, meat is inseparable from Hyderabad’s food. Today, the migrant population, notably the IT crowd, are open to meat consumption. Presence of a large Muslim and Dalit population, communities that frequently consume meat, could be another reason for relatively higher meat consumption Hyderabad than New Delhi,” said columnist Sajjad Shahid, who writes on city’s culture. “At Hyderabad any restaurant, mutton and chicken biryani are most commonly ordered dishes.” The survey showed that mutton is the most preferred livestock meat, followed by chicken, buffalo and pork in both cities. Nearly half of the respondents in both cities said they ate ‘sometimes’ meat cooked outside homes.
Though it does not talk about health aspects of meat eating, the study’s findings evoke questions about quantity of consumption.
“Red meat is high in cholesterol, but nourishing in limited quantities. Besides accumulation of visible fat, excessive consumption can lead to deposits of cholesterol in blood vessels, liver and other internal organs,” said Dr. E. Suresh Kumar, surgical gastroenterologist at KIMS Hospital.
The survey’s findings are sure to play out in the coming days given that several food joints have begun sale of Haleem; until a decade ago, Haleem sales coincided with the start and end of Ramazan. This year, the holy month is expected to begin at the end of first week in June. “Given its high calorie content, Haleem is a good dish to consume particularly after a day of fasting. However, overindulgence does not auger well for the body,” Dr. Kumar added.
