Delectable kebabs, fragrant biryani, and fluffy, cloud-like desserts.
The northern Indian city of Lucknow has consistently been a food lovers' paradise, with locals and visitors equally celebrating its superb cuisine.
A Global Honor
In a recent announcement, UNESCO recognised it as a UNESCO Creative City for Gastronomy – including it in a select roster of world cities and sparking hopes that it will highlight Lucknow's exceptional food. With this title, it joins a international community of cities metropolises across more than 100 countries dedicated to promoting "creativity as a key factor of development that sustains urban life".
The honor "demonstrates its profound culinary traditions and vibrant food ecosystem," according to a spokesperson from Unesco's Regional Office for South Asia.
Lucknow is just the second Indian city – after Hyderabad, which was picked in 2019 – to find a place in this prestigious list of 70 global destinations around the world.
A City Defined by Food
The accolade for this time-honored city comes as no surprise to its locals or passionate food lovers. Many share the view that it is "a recognition that was delayed".
With the UNESCO recognition, this adored, lively, and vibrant city – the administrative center of India's biggest state – is at last in the spotlight for what has always defined its soul: an immense passion for food.
"'The day's menu, how will it be cooked' is a continued discussion from morning until night in most homes," states a local cultural expert. "And you are actually evaluated by the excellence of food that comes out of your kitchen."
A Heritage of Nawabi Cuisine
The City of the Nawabs – as it's often referred to after its historic opulent Muslim rulers – is famed for its melt-in-the-mouth kebabs and a unique take on biryani that were invented, evolved, and taken to exquisite levels in their imperial kitchens.
These imperial kitchens were epicenters of gastronomic creativity, fusing Iranian and indigenous Indian styles to create what became known as the cuisine of Awadh.
It was in that period that Lucknow's iconic kebabs were developed. As the tale is told that the mutton galouti was created to feed an elderly nawab who had lost his teeth. His culinary artists processed the meat with papaya, kesar, and a blend of spices and made it so silky that it needed no chewing.
But perhaps the biggest contribution of the cooks of Awadh was the slow-cooking Dum pukht technique, where food is cooked on a low, leisurely heat, with the pot's lid securely sealed with a flour paste.
More Than Just Famous Dishes
In addition to the well-known kebabs and biryani, the cooks also built up a vast array of dishes that included kormas (creamy curries), sheermal (saffron-infused flatbread), and shahi tukda (a decadent bread pudding).
However, Lucknow is not just about kebabs and biryani – the region is additionally a vegetarian's paradise.
The local traditionally vegetarian community's cuisine doesn't just showcases fresh harvests but also gives the city its highly curated Indian desserts, sweets, and unique street food, like chaat – tangy fried snacks.
Iconic Stalls and Historic Shops
Almost on many street corners, there are small establishments and stalls – little-known delights that are extremely popular with the locals.
In the central district of Hazratganj, throngs of people start assembling from 5 am at a famous tea stall to get a piping hot cup of spiced tea with milk, offered in earthenware cups, along with fluffy buns lathered with freshly churned white butter.
In the morning, one can head to a simple joint operating in the old city area of Aminabad. Almost 150 years after it was founded, the place is still in great demand for its freshly fried kachoris (fried bread stuffed with lentils) and jalebis (crispy, syrup-soaked sweets).
Preserving Tradition for the Future
The city also boasts special seasonal delights, such as makkhan malai, a cloud-like dessert available in the winter. The method of making it is intricate and involved. The cook hand-churns the milk and then sets it out at night, allowing the dew to give it its amazing light consistency.
On chilly mornings, street vendors can be seen in old city areas like Aminabad and Chowk. Many however note that their children do not want to master the craft.
A renowned chef from Lucknow has frequently stated that the city's immense food legacy places it right on top of the Indian street food experience. The significant impact from the UNESCO recognition, however, will be realized only if Lucknow can now build recognition about its lesser-known eateries.
Every dish in Lucknow has a narrative – crafted by generational food businesses, from humble street carts to lively restaurants, and secret family recipes.
The international acclaim, it is believed, will encourage more people globally to learn these narratives and experience the city to delight in the culinary delights of Lucknow.
