Hyderabad: In the busy hotels of Hyderabad’s old city, where the aroma of Irani chai, malai bun, and paya soup filled the air long before the arrival of QR codes, a small metal token was used to manage orders — a system that still survives in a few hotels.It was not a currency coin but a simple handmade token that helped kitchens run smoothly. This system was introduced many years ago, especially in the old city. Customers would go to the counter, pay for their food, and receive a small token instead of a printed bill. Each token, shaped differently to represent a specific dish, was handed over to the waiter by the customer or given by the cashier — signalling to the kitchen what to cook and serve. For example, a round token meant puri, a triangle stood for sherwa, a star indicated bheja fry, and a cup shape represented tea. Some tokens had letters stamped on them, like “CB” for chicken biryani. “When we see the token, we immediately know what to prepare. There’s no need to ask the customer again,” said Deepak Rajput, who works in a local hotel. The system also helped prevent billing mistakes. Since every item was linked to a token, there was no chance of overbilling. Hotels couldn’t prepare more than what the cashier had approved, adding a layer of accountability. The token system is believed to have started many years ago, possibly during the reign of the last Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan. As Irani cafés began to flourish in the 20th century, this unique payment system grew with them. The clinking sound of tokens became a familiar feature during lunch hours, as the practice became widespread. It became a symbol of trust — with staff preparing food based solely on tokens, no questions asked. “These tokens make billing easy,” says Mohammad Kaleem of Fiza Hotel & Bakers, which has used them for over 30 years. “At the end of the day, we count tokens and know exactly how much we sold.” The system also helped bridge language barriers, as the staff needed to understand only the shapes of the tokens. The tokens were handmade in small workshops behind the Chowk Masjid, where the process has remained largely unchanged for decades. Workers used black casting sand to shape the moulds. “You have to press it just right,” says Gautham, while demonstrating the sand-casting process. Aluminium or bronze was melted in a furnace and poured into the moulds. After the metal cooled, the tokens were cleaned and filed to remove sharp edges. If a hotel wanted its name or a food code on the token, it was stamped by hand. Some moulds also used a special black wax material called Baps wax, mixed with jaggery, to achieve a finer finish. The cost of making each token is about `8, with hotels typically ordering around 100 to 200 tokens at a time. Some places had over 500 tokens in daily use. The tokens were stored in small metal boxes at the counter. Some counters had custom boxes with labelled compartments. “We do it all manually,” says Dharmaraj, an artisan at Murgi Chowk. “If a hotel wants 50 tokens of one shape and 30 of another, we make each separately.” They no longer receive large orders. Some old hotel owners occasionally return to remake lost tokens. The furnace is no longer lit every day. The workshop now mostly handles repairs. One artisan, who learned the craft from his father, says the work survives more on pride than profit. “The profit is very little, but the work continues — more as a family tradition than a business,” says Dharmaraj. But times are changing. Many hotels in Hyderabad now use printed bills and digital systems. Kitchen order tickets now emerge automatically from small printers. Yet, the tokens have not vanished entirely. In some corners of the old city — inside Moazzam Jahi Market, tea stalls and tiffin centres still quietly use them. There are even customers who ask for a token as a keepsake. “Some people ask for just one token,” says a hotel owner. “They keep it like an old coin, a reminder of a time when everything was slower but smoother.” Looking back, it reveals how Hyderabad’s food scene evolved. The small tokens may now seem outdated, but they once helped thousands get their meals efficiently. They were an integral part of the city’s food culture. The beauty of the token system lay in its simplicity. If you pass by an old hotel near Charminar, pay close attention — you might still hear the soft clink of a token.
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