Hamza Shaheem, a native of Kozhikode, still remembers the first time he ate halwa from a bakery near his home in Farooq. "That was great!" He still remembers that. Following that childhood experience, Halwa became an important guest in Shaheem's household. Halwa became a staple dish on special occasions. This dessert has fans not only in Kozhikode but all over Kerala. This is because of the simple yet unique nature of Halwa. It is considered as an icon of Kerala.
Although Shaheem's favorite is the red halwa, halwa has a range of flavours. Shaheem feels lucky to live and grow up in a city where halwa is produced in large quantities. But Shaheem's work to bring this taste to everyone. No need to go all the way to Kozhikode to enjoy halwa. Not one, but 24 items will arrive at your doorstep if you wish.
It is made possible by four childhood friends. After completing a year of operations, their startup Phulva has transformed from a small producer to a Kerala-based brand supplying authentic traditional food products and has already crossed the milestone with a turnover of Rs 84 lakhs. As they say, their success story is written by Kozhikode Halwa.
If you've visited Kozhikode, you can't leave without trying Halwa, which is also considered a 'symbol of pride' in Kerala. A simple mixture of water, sugar, corn starch, coconut oil, citrus salt and spices gave birth to a dessert. Actually, every halwa is different in Kozhikode as the ratio of each ingredient varies from owner to owner.
Childhood friends Shabaz Ahmed NC, Sanu Mohammad C, Irfan Zafar S and Tesreef Ali PK ate Kozhikode halwa many times, but they considered it a normal feast. But it was only when he moved away from his home country to study that he realized its value. On every trip back home, friends started demanding, “I want some Kozhikode halwa. Requests came from teachers, friends and hostel mates. So on each return journey, they return with a collection of halwa. This gave birth to the idea of starting a platform as an umbrella for different varieties of Kozhikode Halwa.
When the friends came up with the idea of Fulva, they say nostalgia was a key factor. “If anyone in my family goes abroad, the first thing they always buy to take away is Kozhikode halwa. Thesreef says. But says Irfan, "Even though halwa has been in the market for the past 500 years, it still lacks an established brand, as is the case with many traditional products."
Fulva looks to fill these gaps. The startup is trying to promote halwa as a prestige product by giving it the right price. The friends started the venture as a side business but now run it full time. Beyond the usual red and green flavors, their Srini also includes experimental desiccated coconut, green chilli, watermelon, kiwi, carrot, pomegranate and passion fruit.
The friends, pondered whether to set up a manufacturing center but finally decided to commission halwais (sweet makers). "It makes the product more authentic," explains Sanu, adding that they have a generation of halwa-making skills.
"Consumers see halwa as a nostalgic treat and we wanted to present it in a modern way that everyone would agree to." We were emboldened when the first box containing 24 premium variations of Kozhikode Halwa was an instant hit, crossing 300 orders within the first month of launch. The startup also ships halwa to the UK, Turkey, Germany and the UAE.
Through the 'home to home' segment, the friends plan to introduce authentic and traditional snacks prepared by housewives and small producers, beyond Kozhikode Halwa. These will include samosas, Kozhikode delicacies, Kerala banana chips and Malabar snacks like Kozhi Ada.
