Mouth-watering kebabs, scented biryani, and airy, ethereal desserts.
The metropolis in India's north of Lucknow has forever been a haven for gastronomes, with residents and visitors equally swearing by its remarkable cuisine.
Worldwide Recognition
In a recent announcement, UNESCO designated it as a City of Gastronomy within its Creative Cities Network – including it in a prestigious list of world cities and sparking hopes that it will spotlight Lucknow's exceptional food. With this designation, it becomes part of a international community of more than four hundred urban centers across over 100 countries dedicated to promoting "creativity as a driver of development that sustains urban life".
The honor "demonstrates its centuries-old food heritage and lively gastronomic culture," according to a official from UNESCO's regional bureau for South Asia.
Lucknow is only the second Indian city – after Hyderabad, which was selected in 2019 – to find a place in this prestigious list of 70 cities around the world.
A Metropolis Shaped by Cuisine
The honor for this time-honored city comes as little surprise to its locals or passionate food lovers. Many share the sentiment that it is "a recognition that was delayed".
With the UNESCO recognition, this beloved, chaotic, and vibrant city – the administrative center of India's most populous state – is finally in the global gaze for what has perennially shaped its heart: an unparalleled love for food.
"'The day's menu, how will it be cooked' is a ongoing conversation from morning until night in many homes," states a local cultural expert. "And you are truly assessed by the quality of food that is produced in your kitchen."
A Royal Culinary Legacy
The Nawabi City – as it's popularly called after its 18th and 19th-century wealthy Muslim rulers – is renowned for its tender kebabs and a unique take on biryani that were invented, perfected, and taken to extraordinary levels in their opulent kitchens.
These kitchens of the nobility were hubs of culinary innovations, blending Iranian 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 galouti kebab was devised to feed an elderly nawab who had lost his teeth. His culinary artists processed the meat with raw papaya, saffron, and spices and made it so fine that it needed no chewing.
But arguably the biggest contribution of the chefs of Awadh was the slow-cook Dum pukht technique, where food is cooked on a low, slow heat, with the pot's lid securely sealed with dough.
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 (creamy curries), sheermal (saffron-infused flatbread), and shahi tukda (a rich bread pudding).
However, Lucknow is not only about kebabs and biryani – the region is additionally a haven for vegetarians.
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 – spicy fried snacks.
Time-Tested Food Joints
Nearly on every corner, there are tiny kiosks and kiosks – little-known treasures that are wildly loved by the locals.
In the central district of Hazratganj, throngs of people start gathering from the crack of dawn at a famous tea stall to get a piping hot cup of milky masala chai, offered in earthenware cups, along with pillowy soft buns slathered with hand-churned white butter.
In the morning, one can visit a unpretentious joint located in the historic quarter of Aminabad. Nearly 150 years after it was founded, the place is still highly popular for its hot kachoris (fried bread stuffed with lentils) and jalebis (crispy, syrup-soaked sweets).
Ensuring Legacy Continues
The city also offers remarkable seasonal delights, such as makkhan malai, a cloud-like dessert found in the winter. The process of making it is intricate and demanding. The vendor whisks the milk and then exposes it at night, allowing the nighttime moisture to give it its unique frothy texture.
On chilly mornings, street vendors line up in old city areas like Aminabad and Chowk. Many though say that their younger generation are reluctant to master the craft.
A celebrity chef from Lucknow has frequently stated that the city's rich food legacy places it among the best of the Indian street food experience. The true benefit from the UNESCO recognition, it is believed, will occur only if Lucknow can now generate interest about its under-the-radar eateries.
Every dish in Lucknow tells a story – influenced by family-run food businesses, from humble street carts to bustling restaurants, and closely held family recipes.
The worldwide honor, it is hoped, will motivate more people around the world to learn these tales and experience the city to savour the gastronomic treasures of Lucknow.
