Tempting kebabs, fragrant biryani, and fluffy, ethereal desserts.
The northern Indian city of Lucknow has consistently been a dream destination for epicures, with inhabitants and visitors alike swearing by its superb cuisine.
A Global Honor
Last month, UNESCO recognised it as a UNESCO Creative City for Gastronomy – adding it to a prestigious group of global cities and sparking hopes that it will showcase Lucknow's peerless food. With this status, it enters a worldwide network of over 400 cities across more than 100 countries dedicated to promoting "artistic expression as a key factor of development that sustains urban life".
The honor "stands as proof of its centuries-old gastronomic legacy and dynamic culinary scene," according to a official from Unesco's Regional Office for South Asia.
Lucknow is only the second Indian city – following Hyderabad, which was picked in 2019 – to find a place in this prestigious list of seventy urban centers worldwide.
A City Defined by Food
The recognition for this time-honored city arrives as little surprise to its locals or avid food lovers. Many echo the view that it is "an honor long overdue".
With the UNESCO designation, this adored, bustling, and diverse city – the administrative center of India's biggest state – is now in the limelight for what has always defined its heart: an immense love for food.
"'The day's menu, how should it be prepared' is a constant dialogue from waking up until going to bed in many homes," explains a local cultural expert. "And you are actually evaluated by the standard of food that emerges from your kitchen."
A Heritage of Nawabi Cuisine
The City of the Nawabs – as it's popularly called after its 18th and 19th-century opulent Muslim rulers – is renowned for its succulent kebabs and a distinctive take on biryani that were invented, evolved, and taken to exquisite levels in their royal kitchens.
These royal kitchens were centers of food experimentation, merging Persian and indigenous Indian styles to create what became known as the cuisine of Awadh.
It was during this time that Lucknow's most famous kebabs were fashioned. Legend has it that the mutton galouti was created to feed an elderly nawab who had lost his teeth. His chefs ground the meat with papaya, saffron, and a blend of spices and made it so soft that it required no chewing.
But arguably the biggest contribution of the cooks of Awadh was the slow-cook Dum pukht technique, where food is cooked on a low, leisurely heat, with the container's cover securely closed with a flour paste.
More Than Just Famous Dishes
Besides the well-known kebabs and biryani, the cooks also built up a vast array of dishes that included kormas (rich curries), sheermal (saffron-infused flatbread), and shahi tukda (a sweet bread pudding).
However, Lucknow is far more than kebabs and biryani – the region is also a dream for plant-based eaters.
The local Baniya community's cuisine not only celebrates fresh harvests but also provides the city its highly curated Indian desserts, sweets, and distinctive street food, like chaat – tangy fried snacks.
Time-Tested Food Joints
Almost on many street corners, there are tiny kiosks and kiosks – hidden delights that are extremely favored by the locals.
In the central district of Hazratganj, throngs of people start assembling from the crack of dawn at a renowned tea stall to get a steaming cup of spiced tea with milk, served in kulhads, along with incredibly soft buns covered in freshly churned white butter.
In the morning, one can head to a simple joint situated in the old city area of Aminabad. Nearly 150 years after it was set up, the place is still in great demand for its hot kachoris (fried bread stuffed with lentils) and jalebis (crispy, syrup-soaked sweets).
Ensuring Legacy Continues
The city also offers special seasonal delights, such as makkhan malai, a airy dessert savored in the winter. The technique of making it is intricate and complicated. The vendor beats the milk and then exposes it at night, allowing the nighttime moisture to give it its incredible light consistency.
On cold mornings, street vendors can be seen in old city areas like Aminabad and Chowk. Many though note that their younger generation are reluctant to master the art.
A celebrity chef from Lucknow has noted that the city's rich food legacy positions it among the best of the Indian street food experience. The significant impact from the UNESCO recognition, however, will materialize only if Lucknow can now generate interest about its under-the-radar eateries.
Every dish in Lucknow has a narrative – shaped by generational food businesses, from modest street carts to busy restaurants, and secret family recipes.
The international acclaim, it is believed, will inspire more people globally to discover these stories and experience the city to taste the gastronomic treasures of Lucknow.
