Hyderabad: Diwali is all about joy and sharing happiness with others, which is marked by people exchanging sweets to loved ones. This year, however, people have ditched sweetmeats for dry fruits. During this festival season, tonnes of dry fruits were bought in Hyderabad for gifting, which led to dry fruit stores mushrooming across the city. According to market experts, people’s preference for dry fruits started soon after the Covid-19 pandemic, as people began to realise the importance of healthy food choices. Additionally, a large number of people are now diabetic, pre-diabetic, or concerned about obesity. Celebrations without sweets are rare in Indian culture; however, traditional sweets are being made healthier by adding more dry fruits and replacing sugar with raisins and dates. Gayathri Muppidi, a dietitian at Apollo Hospitals, Hyderguda, said, “We have seen a drastic shift in the choice of sweets; people are opting for Khaju Katli, Badam Barfi, or Anjeer Rolls. After the Covid lockdown, they have become more conscious of their food habits.” Abhishek Panwar, a dry fruit wholesaler, said, “This year, there have been several bulk orders for dry fruit gifts. People are choosing dry fruits over sweets due to greater health awareness, as well as increased purchasing capacity.” “Previously, the market had around five to six types of dry fruits, but now we see around 20, along with a growing demand for dehydrated fruits. In the past two to three years, we have seen dry cranberries, blueberries, and kiwi being popular as gifts,” he said. Avinash Devda, general secretary of the Dry Fruit Merchants Association, stated, “There has been an increase in the sale of dry fruits in recent years. Sweet shop owners, too, have been using more dry fruits in their items. Overall, this festive season has been a great one for the dry fruit market.”
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