Delectable kebabs, scented biryani, and fluffy, cloud-like desserts.
The historic city in northern India of Lucknow has consistently been a food lovers' paradise, with inhabitants and travelers alike swearing by its exquisite cuisine.
A Global Honor
Recently, The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization designated it as a Creative City of Gastronomy – including it in a prestigious group of global cities and kindling hopes that it will showcase Lucknow's sublime food. With this title, it becomes part of a international community of more than four hundred metropolises across over 100 countries committed to promoting "creativity as a driver of development that sustains urban life".
The honor "is a testament to its profound gastronomic legacy and lively culinary scene," according to a spokesperson from UNESCO's Regional Office for South Asia.
Lucknow is just the second Indian city – after Hyderabad, which was chosen in 2019 – to earn a spot in this highly sought-after list of 70 global destinations around the world.
A Metropolis Shaped by Cuisine
The recognition for this time-honored city arrives as hardly a shock to its locals or avid food lovers. Many agree with the view that it is "better late than never".
With the UNESCO recognition, this adored, lively, and vibrant city – the capital of India's largest state – is at last in the limelight for what has perennially characterized its soul: an immense love for food.
"'The day's menu, how will it be cooked' is a constant dialogue from waking up until night in many homes," states a local cultural expert. "And you are truly evaluated by the standard of food that comes out of your kitchen."
A Heritage of Nawabi Cuisine
The City of the Nawabs – as it's popularly called after its 18th and 19th Century wealthy Muslim rulers – is famed for its succulent kebabs and a distinctive take on biryani that were conceived, evolved, and taken to extraordinary levels in their royal kitchens.
These kitchens of the nobility were centers of food experimentation, merging Persian and local Indian styles to create what became known as the culinary tradition of Awadh.
It was in that period that Lucknow's renowned kebabs were developed. The story goes that the galouti kebab was devised to cater to an elderly nawab who had no longer had his teeth. His chefs processed the meat with raw papaya, kesar, and spices and made it so fine that it required no chewing.
But arguably the most significant contribution of the cooks of Awadh was the slow-cooking Dum pukht technique, where food is prepared on a gentle, leisurely heat, with the pot's lid tightly closed with dough.
A Diverse Culinary Landscape
Besides the obvious kebabs and biryani, the cooks also built up a collection of dishes that included kormas (rich curries), sheermal (saffron-infused flatbread), and shahi tukda (a rich bread pudding).
However, Lucknow is not just about kebabs and biryani – the region is additionally a vegetarian's paradise.
The local Baniya community's cuisine doesn't just celebrates fresh harvests but also gives the city its highly curated Indian desserts, sweets, and unique street food, like chaat – spicy fried snacks.
Iconic Stalls and Historic Shops
Virtually on countless corners, there are tiny kiosks and stalls – hidden delights that are extremely loved by the locals.
In the heart of the city of Hazratganj, huge crowds start milling around from the crack of dawn 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 hand-churned white butter.
For breakfast, one can head to a unpretentious joint located in the old city area of Aminabad. Nearly 150 years after it was established, 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 presents remarkable treats of the season, such as makkhan malai, a cloud-like dessert found in the winter. The process of making it is intricate and complicated. The vendor hand-churns the milk and then leaves it out at night, allowing the dew to give it its unique light consistency.
On crisp mornings, street vendors are often seen in historic neighborhoods like Aminabad and Chowk. A number of but say that their children are unwilling to master the skill.
A renowned chef from Lucknow has often said that the city's rich food legacy positions it at the very pinnacle of the Indian street food experience. The true benefit from the UNESCO recognition, it is believed, will materialize only if Lucknow can now create awareness about its hidden eateries.
Every dish in Lucknow tells a story – shaped by generational food businesses, from modest street carts to lively restaurants, and guarded family recipes.
The global recognition, it is believed, will inspire more people worldwide to explore these narratives and travel to the city to taste the food wonders of Lucknow.
