Who Has The Best Biryani?
- 8 months ago
Biryani, one of the most beloved dishes in India and Pakistan, is iconic, regal, and dates back 3,000 years. Today, it has become a street food that is affordable and accessible to all–and it’s thanks to a brand that was launched in Karachi in the 1980’s: Shan Masalas.
Usually made with meat and cooked in layers of spicy, tangy, and sweet flavors, Biryani is an elaborate rice dish. In the 1980’s, Shan Masala, packaged spice mixes, were launched–modernizing desi cuisine and freeing up many South Asian women’s time. In 2020 alone, Shan Masala made around $85 million USD in revenue.
Mentions of Biryani have been found in Tamil poems that date as far back as 200 CE, to 17th century cookbooks from a royal Mughal kitchen. Biryani today represents several millennia of the subcontinent's unique mix of different flavors, techniques and cooking cultures.
Though there’s a lot of hype around who invented biryani and who has the best biryani, every region has delicious biryani–and comes with its own story.
Host
Ahmer Naqvi
Producer
Stephanie Tangkilisan
Associate Producer
Manal Ahmed
Writer and Researcher
Ahmer Naqvi
Additional Writer and Researcher
Manal Ahmed
Director of Photography
Muhammad Abbas Parkar
Editor
Rendy Abi
Post Production Coordinator
Skolastika Lupitawina
Editor in Chief
Keshia Hannam
Head of Production
Stephanie Tangkilisan
Animator
Fajar Alkan
Graphic Design
Samuel Kang
Fitra Pratama
Annie Zhao
Additional Archival Material
Latifs Inspired
Getty Images
Halal Chef
Food Fusion
Marion's Kitchen
Kashmir Tasty Treats
Indian Food Loves You
Divyakant Solanki
Rana Hamza Saif - RHS
Epicurious
Joshua Weissman
British Pathé
BFI
Sameer Kay Vlogs
A Pakistani Kitchenette
Kanwal Ki Duniya
Mubashir Saddique
Shan Foods
The Food Ranger
Strictly Dumpling
Wikimedia
Street Food PK
Nambi Sankaran
Amazon
Pakistan Rare Videos
Livemint
Profit.pakistantoday
Economic Times
Karachi Street View - Pakistan
Your Food Lab
Max McFarlin
Additional Music
Olive Musique - Life as We Make It
Ben Beiny - On the Winds of Change
Tanager Kid - Door to Nowhere
Usually made with meat and cooked in layers of spicy, tangy, and sweet flavors, Biryani is an elaborate rice dish. In the 1980’s, Shan Masala, packaged spice mixes, were launched–modernizing desi cuisine and freeing up many South Asian women’s time. In 2020 alone, Shan Masala made around $85 million USD in revenue.
Mentions of Biryani have been found in Tamil poems that date as far back as 200 CE, to 17th century cookbooks from a royal Mughal kitchen. Biryani today represents several millennia of the subcontinent's unique mix of different flavors, techniques and cooking cultures.
Though there’s a lot of hype around who invented biryani and who has the best biryani, every region has delicious biryani–and comes with its own story.
Host
Ahmer Naqvi
Producer
Stephanie Tangkilisan
Associate Producer
Manal Ahmed
Writer and Researcher
Ahmer Naqvi
Additional Writer and Researcher
Manal Ahmed
Director of Photography
Muhammad Abbas Parkar
Editor
Rendy Abi
Post Production Coordinator
Skolastika Lupitawina
Editor in Chief
Keshia Hannam
Head of Production
Stephanie Tangkilisan
Animator
Fajar Alkan
Graphic Design
Samuel Kang
Fitra Pratama
Annie Zhao
Additional Archival Material
Latifs Inspired
Getty Images
Halal Chef
Food Fusion
Marion's Kitchen
Kashmir Tasty Treats
Indian Food Loves You
Divyakant Solanki
Rana Hamza Saif - RHS
Epicurious
Joshua Weissman
British Pathé
BFI
Sameer Kay Vlogs
A Pakistani Kitchenette
Kanwal Ki Duniya
Mubashir Saddique
Shan Foods
The Food Ranger
Strictly Dumpling
Wikimedia
Street Food PK
Nambi Sankaran
Amazon
Pakistan Rare Videos
Livemint
Profit.pakistantoday
Economic Times
Karachi Street View - Pakistan
Your Food Lab
Max McFarlin
Additional Music
Olive Musique - Life as We Make It
Ben Beiny - On the Winds of Change
Tanager Kid - Door to Nowhere