Hamza Shaheem, a native of Kozhikode, still remembers the first time he ate halwa from a bakery near his home in Farook. "It was so good! "He still remembers it. Following that childhood experience, Halwa became an important guest in Shaheems household. Halwa has become a staple dish for special occasions. This sweet is loved not only by the people of Kozhikode but also by the people of Kerala. The reason for this is simple and unique. It is considered an icon of Kerala.

Although Shaheem's favourite is red halwa, the halwa has a range of flavours. Shaheem feels lucky to have lived and grown up in a city where halwa is being made on a large scale. But Shaheem's work is to bring this taste to everyone. Don't go all the way to Kozhikode to enjoy halwa. Not one, but 24 items will arrive at your doorstep if you wish.

This is made possible by four childhood friends. Her start-up Phulwa, which completes one year of operations, has become a Kerala-based brand that distributes authentic traditional food products from small-scale producers and has already crossed the milestone with a turnover of Rs 84 lakh. As they say, their success story was written by Calicutan Halwa.

If you have visited Kozhikode, you will not go back without eating halwa, which is also considered a 'pride symbol' of Kerala. A simple mixture of water, sugar, corn starch, coconut oil, citrus salt and spices gave birth to a dessert. In fact, the ratio of each ingredient in the chicken differs from owner to owner, so all the halva is different.

Childhood friends Shabaz Ahmed NC, Sanu Mohammed C, Irfan Zafar S and Thesreef Ali PK had eaten the Kozhikode halwa many times, but they considered it a regular treat. But I realized the value of it when I moved away from home to study. On every trip back home, friends began to demand "I want some Kozhikode halwa." The requests came from teachers, friends and hostel mates. So on each return journey, they return with a collection of halwa. This is what initiated the idea of starting a platform as an umbrella for different varieties of Calicutan Halwa.

When friends thought of the idea of Fulva, they say that nostalgia is an important factor. "If anyone in my family goes abroad, the first thing they always buy to take with them is Kozhikode halwa. "Taseer says. But Irfan says, "Though halwa has been in the market for the last 500 years, it still doesn't have an established brand as is the case with many traditional products. "

Fulva is looking to fill these gaps. The start-up is trying to promote halwa as a dignified product by giving it its right price. Friends started the venture as a side business, but now they are leading it full time. Apart from the usual red and green flavours, the experiment also includes dried coconut, green chillies, watermelon, kiwi, carrot, pomegranate and passion fruit.

Friends, I was thinking whether to set up a manufacturing unit but finally decided to entrust the responsibility to halwais (sweet makers). "It makes the product more authentic," explains Sanu, adding that they have a generation with expertise in making halwa.

"Customers look at halwa as a nostalgic treat and we wanted to present it in a modern way that is acceptable to all. "When the first box containing 24 premium variations of Kozhikode Halwa became an instant hit, we were thrilled and the order crossed 300 in the first month of its launch. The startup is shipping the halwa to the UK, Turkey, Germany and the UAE.

Through the 'home-to-home' segment, the friends plan to go beyond the Kozhikode halwa and introduce authentic and traditional snacks prepared by homemakers and small-scale manufacturers. These include samosas, Kozhikode delicacies, Kerala banana chips and Malabar snacks like chicken atta.