Celebrate the biscuit in India with this guide to the best variations in Mumbai

Mawa maniaMawa biscuits Pic CourtesyMerwans Cake ShopMawa coconut kaju butter wheat and much more mdash Merwanrsquos promises something for every palate Jaya A from the bakery says ldquoIt is a neverending process We start at 930 in the morning and make sure all biscuits are fresh and warmrdquo The bakery sells nearly 70 packets of biscuits daily with its anjeer and mawa cookies emerging as bestsellersAt Merwanrsquos Cake Shop Khanna Apartment opposite Diamond Garden Chembur Also at Santacruz Andheri Bandra Khar Borivli Mulund Malad Thane Navi MumbaiCall 7900001794Cost Rs 140 per packetKhari crunchThe classic khari and chai Pics CourtesyKyani amp CoLight flaky and layered with butter khari biscuits remain one of Mumbairsquos mostloved teatime snacks At Kyani amp Co the biscuits continue to be baked in small batches throughout the day helping retain their delicate texture and freshness ldquoPeople still come here every evening for khari and chai The freshness is what keeps them coming backrdquo says Firoz Ahmed from Kyani BakeryAt Kyani amp Co Jer Mahal Building 657 Jagannath Shankarsheth Road Marine LinesCall 8928616793Cost R600 per kgKyani amp Co at Marine LinesJeera magicJeera bicuits Pic CourtesyParsi Dairy FarmCrisp savoury and packed with the earthy flavours of roasted cumin jeera biscuits are a staple at legacy Mumbai bakeries Often enjoyed with evening chai they continue to be among the cityrsquos most popular bakery snacks ldquoCustomers love the strong jeera flavour and crunchy texturerdquo says Jabir Ali from City BakeryAt City Bakery Dr Annie Besant Road WorliCall 8879159569Cost R290 per packetraquoOriginal Bakery in Sion continues to draw regulars for its crisp jeera biscuits that pair perfectly with chaiAt Original Bakery Shilla House CHS Ltd Sion EastCall 7304091403Cost Rs 280 per kgraquoKnown for its classic bakery offerings Parsi Dairy Farmrsquos jeera biscuits remain a popular grabandgo snack across its outletsAt Parsi Dairy Farm Marine Lines Ghatkopar Borivli ThaneCall 24123776Cost Rs 300 per kgCoconut classicsCoconut biscuits Pics Courtesy Original Persian BakeryCrunchy on the outside with a mildly sweet centre coconut biscuits remain a nostalgic bakery favourite across generations Made using fresh coconut the biscuits carry a rich aroma and a slightly soft bite that pairs perfectly with tea or coffee Many old bakeries still prepare them using traditional recipes and smallbatch baking methods ldquoThe coconut biscuits have remained popular for years because of their fresh aroma and soft crunchrdquo says Javed Shaikh from Original Persian BakeryAt Original Persian Bakery Balaram Bhawan Balaram Street Grant Road EastCall 9594547335Cost Rs 350 per packetCookies Pics CourtesyBangalore Iyengar BakeryraquoSt Anthonyrsquos Bakery is popular for its coconut macaroon cookies which come with a crisp shell and a soft coconutfilled centreAt St Anthonyrsquos Bakery Kolbad Road Thane WestCall 9167045526Cost Rs 380 per packetKhara and elaichi mixKhara Jeera biscuitsThis iconic bakery traces its roots to HS Thirumalachar who reportedly learnt baking from the British before opening one of the cityrsquos earliest bakeries in 1898 Apart from the famous Khara Bun Congress KBC the bakery is also known for its khara and elaichi biscuits Manjunath Shetty who has worked at the bakery for 20 years says ldquoIt takes two to four hours to make the biscuits With loyal customers returning for over 10 years the bakery aims to stay as grounded as possiblerdquoAt Bangalore Iyengar Bakery Bhiwandi Building Sir Bhalchandra Road Matunga EastCall 7276926563Cost Rs 150 per packetraquoFor Mumbaikars Cafeacute Colonyrsquos buttery cookies are a familiar favourite The oldschool Irani cafeacute staples from Shrewsbury biscuits to butter khari and mawa cake mdash continue to draw regularsAt Shrikant Lodge Tilak Road near Tilak Bridge Dadar TT Dadar EastCall 9833106829Cost Rs 300 per packetraquoIndulge in multiple light buttery and crumbly elaichi biscuits itrsquos best paired with adrakwali chaiAt Shree Ram Bakery Wadar Wadi Dattanagar Dombivli EastCall 9867272998Cost Rs 100Sweet bites in BandraJ Hearsch amp Co Pic CourtesyinstagramAt over a century old J Hearsch amp Co remains a cultclassic bakery known for its fiercely guarded recipes Among its favourites are the boozy wine biscuits mdash crisp lightly sweet biscuits with a subtle hint of wine essence that generations of Bandraites have grown up eatingAt 90 A Hill Road next to Holy Family Hospital Bandra WestCall 9152590746Cost Rs 65 per biscuitNatkhat nankhataisA view of the bakery right Nankhatai Pics CourtesyYazdani BakeryThis 73yearold bakery is still making its famous Nankhatais and biscuits by hand with the help of a wheatmixing machine Munna Kumar from Yazdani Bakery says ldquoTherersquos no compromise on the quality all biscuits are made fresh by hand and in pure desi gheerdquo A pro tip he shared with readers If you want their popular ShrewsburyNankhatai biscuits visit the shop early in the dayAt Yazdani Bakery 11A Cawasji Patel Road FortCall 22870739Cost Rs 200 per packetraquoIf you prefer the crumbly buttery version this bakery is worth a visitAt Gupta Bakery and Farsan Store Khatijabai Chawl Ghatkopar WestCall 8454849644Cost Rs 250 per packet