If you grew up in the ’90s, you will remember the joy of racing to the neighbourhood kirana shop with a rupee in hand. Rows of colourful jars sat behind the counter, each one filled with treasures. The choice was never easy: should you buy a toffee, a bubble gum, or a frozen cola sachet? That moment, simple yet magical, was what childhood tasted like.
Siasat.com brings this story as a reminder that food is not only about taste, it is about memories
A Rupee, A Smile
Pocket money went a long way back then. For one or two rupees, you could walk out with enough treats to share with friends. These weren’t just snacks; they were part of growing up in Hyderabad. From school breaks to summer afternoons, they carried memories that still make us smile today.
The Icons We Loved
Popins: Fruity, colourful candies that melted slowly and stained your tongue.
1.Phantom (Sweet Cigarettes): Chalky mint flavoured white sticks, a mischievous way to feel “grown-up.”
2. Rola Cola: Cola in candy form, some kids even dropped them in water to make “cola juice.”
3. Big Babool & Boomer : The iconic bubble gums of playgrounds. The fun memories of who could blow the biggest bubble?
4. Ice Pepsi Cola: Frozen cola-flavoured sachets that cooled scorching Hyderabad summers.
5. Kismi Toffee: A caramel and cardamom mix that felt rich in every bite.
6. Melody: The chocolate toffee that gave us one of India’s most famous ad lines: “Melody itni chocolaty kyun hai?”
7. Fatafat: Tangy little black balls sold in paper packets are spicy, sticky, and addictive.
8. Rasna: “I love you Rasna” wasn’t just an ad line. Summer meant tumblers of this sherbet for cousins and friends.
9. Hajmola: Tangy digestive tablets kids ate like sweets, daring each other to pop five at once.
10. Gold Spot: The “Zing Thing,” an orange fizzy drink that lit up every birthday party before it disappeared from shelves.
11. Pan Pasand: The toffee with a unique paan-like flavour sweet, fragrant, and a little grown-up. For many, it was the first taste of sophistication.
12. Gold Coin Candy: Shiny golden wrappers, chocolatey sweetness, a treasure you could eat and flaunt too.
Why They Mattered
These weren’t just candies and drinks. They were:
Affordable : A rupee stretched into happiness.
Sharable : Trading a Melody for a Poppins or splitting a Gold Spot bottle built friendships.
Memorable : Each flavour carried a story, a laugh, a slice of childhood.
What Changed?
Over time, global chocolates and changing tastes pushed many of these off the shelves. Some, like Rola Cola, Rasna, Hajmola, and Melody, still survive proving nostalgia sells. Others, like Gold Spot and Pan Pasand, live only in memory.
Taste of Yesterday
Even today, spotting a jar of Kismi or a strip of Fatafat can instantly transport you back to the gullies of 1990s Hyderabad. These weren’t just sweets; they were little packets of joy.
Which treat do you miss the most? Popins, Melody, Gold Spot, Pan Pasand or something else? Comment below and tell us your favourite nostalgic bite.
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