Mouth-watering kebabs, fragrant biryani, and airy, cloud-like desserts.
The northern Indian city of Lucknow has consistently been a dream destination for epicures, with inhabitants and visitors alike celebrating its remarkable cuisine.
A Global Honor
In a recent announcement, The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization recognised it as a UNESCO Creative City for Gastronomy – placing it on a select roster of global cities and igniting hopes that it will highlight Lucknow's peerless food. With this title, it joins a global network of more than four hundred urban centers across more than 100 countries focused on promoting "creativity as a catalyst of development that sustains urban life".
The honor "demonstrates its centuries-old gastronomic legacy and dynamic gastronomic culture," as stated by a spokesperson from UNESCO's Regional Office for South Asia.
Lucknow is only the second Indian city – after Hyderabad, which was chosen in 2019 – to find a place in this coveted list of 70 cities internationally.
An Urban Center with a Culinary Soul
The honor for this venerable city arrives as no surprise to its residents or avid food lovers. Many share the opinion that it is "an honor long overdue".
With the UNESCO recognition, this beloved, chaotic, and diverse city – the administrative center of India's biggest state – is at last in the spotlight for what has perennially defined its soul: an immense love for food.
"'What's for dinner, how will it be cooked' is a constant discussion from morning until night in most homes," states a local cultural expert. "And you are truly judged by the standard of food that comes out of your kitchen."
A Royal Culinary Legacy
The City of the Nawabs – as it's popularly called after its 18th and 19th Century affluent Muslim rulers – is renowned for its melt-in-the-mouth kebabs and a distinctive take on biryani that were invented, evolved, and taken to exquisite levels in their opulent kitchens.
These kitchens of the nobility were hubs of culinary innovations, fusing Iranian and native Indian styles to create what became known as the culinary tradition of Awadh.
It was in this era that Lucknow's renowned kebabs were created. As the tale is told that the mutton galouti was devised to cater to an ageing nawab who had no longer had his teeth. His cooks processed the meat with papaya, kesar, and a blend of spices and made it so soft that it needed no chewing.
But arguably the most significant contribution of the chefs of Awadh was the slow-cooking Dum pukht technique, where food is prepared on a low, leisurely heat, with the pot's lid tightly sealed with a flour paste.
More Than Just Famous Dishes
Apart from the well-known kebabs and biryani, the cooks also created 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 additionally a vegetarian's paradise.
The local Baniya community's cuisine doesn't just highlights local ingredients but also gives the city its highly curated Indian desserts, sweets, and distinctive street food, like chaat – tangy fried snacks.
Time-Tested Food Joints
Virtually on countless corners, there are tiny kiosks and kiosks – little-known treasures that are wildly favored by the locals.
In the city center of Hazratganj, large gatherings start assembling from 5 am at a famous tea stall to get a piping hot cup of milky masala chai, served in earthenware cups, along with pillowy soft buns lathered with hand-churned white butter.
For breakfast, one can head to a no-frills joint operating in the old city area of Aminabad. Almost 150 years after it was founded, the place is still highly popular for its freshly fried kachoris (fried bread stuffed with lentils) and jalebis (crispy, syrup-soaked sweets).
Ensuring Legacy Continues
The city also boasts unique treats of the season, such as makkhan malai, a airy dessert savored in the winter. The process of making it is scientific and complicated. The cook beats the milk and then sets it out at night, allowing the nighttime moisture to give it its amazing light consistency.
On cold mornings, street vendors are often seen in historic neighborhoods like Aminabad and Chowk. Some but say that their younger generation are reluctant to learn the skill.
A well-known culinary expert from Lucknow has frequently stated that the city's profound 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 create awareness about its lesser-known eateries.
Every dish in Lucknow tells a story – shaped by generational food businesses, from humble street carts to bustling restaurants, and secret family recipes.
The worldwide honor, it is hoped, will encourage more people around the world to discover these narratives and visit the city to savour the gastronomic treasures of Lucknow.
