Tempting kebabs, scented biryani, and whipped, cloud-like desserts.
The historic city in northern India of Lucknow has long been a haven for gastronomes, with locals and visitors equally praising its remarkable cuisine.
A Global Honor
Recently, UNESCO honored it as a UNESCO Creative City for Gastronomy – including it in a select roster of global cities and igniting hopes that it will showcase Lucknow's peerless food. With this status, it joins a global network of more than four hundred metropolises across more than 100 countries focused on promoting "innovation as a driver of sustainable urban development".
The recognition "stands as proof of its deep-rooted culinary traditions and dynamic gastronomic culture," as stated by a spokesperson from Unesco's regional bureau for South Asia.
Lucknow is just the second Indian city – after Hyderabad, which was chosen in 2019 – to earn a spot in this prestigious list of 70 global destinations internationally.
A Metropolis Shaped by Cuisine
The accolade for this historic city is little surprise to its locals or passionate food lovers. Many echo the sentiment that it is "a recognition that was delayed".
With the UNESCO recognition, this beloved, bustling, and diverse city – the administrative center of India's biggest state – is at last in the global gaze for what has perennially defined its essence: an profound passion for food.
"'What will be cooked, how should it be prepared' is a constant conversation from waking up until going to bed in most homes," explains a local cultural expert. "And you are truly evaluated by the quality of food that emerges from your kitchen."
A Heritage of Nawabi Cuisine
The City of Nawabs – as it's widely known after its 18th and 19th-century opulent Muslim rulers – is renowned for its melt-in-the-mouth kebabs and a singular take on biryani that were created, evolved, and taken to exquisite levels in their imperial kitchens.
These royal kitchens were centers of culinary innovations, merging Persian and local Indian styles to create what became known as the cuisine of Awadh.
It was during this time that Lucknow's renowned kebabs were developed. As the tale is told that the galouti kebab was devised to cater to an ageing nawab who had lost his teeth. His chefs ground the meat with papaya, kesar, and a blend of spices and made it so soft that it needed no chewing.
But perhaps the biggest contribution of the chefs of Awadh was the slow-cook Dum pukht technique, where food is cooked on a gentle, slow heat, with the pot's lid tightly closed with a flour paste.
A Diverse Culinary Landscape
In addition to the well-known kebabs and biryani, the cooks also created 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 also a haven for vegetarians.
The local Baniya community's cuisine doesn't just highlights local ingredients but also gives the city its meticulously prepared Indian desserts, sweets, and unique street food, like chaat – zesty fried snacks.
Hidden Gems and Legacy Eateries
Almost on every corner, there are little shops and carts – lesser-known gems that are extremely loved by the locals.
In the city center of Hazratganj, throngs of people start milling around from the crack of dawn at a renowned tea stall to get a steaming cup of spiced tea with milk, presented in earthenware cups, along with fluffy buns slathered with freshly churned white butter.
For breakfast, one can head to a unpretentious joint operating in the old city area of Aminabad. Nearly 150 years after it was established, the place is still much sought-after for its freshly fried kachoris (fried bread stuffed with lentils) and jalebis (crispy, syrup-soaked sweets).
Safeguarding a Culinary Heritage
The city also offers unique treats of the season, such as makkhan malai, a cloud-like dessert savored in the winter. The process of making it is scientific and complicated. The vendor whisks 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 line up in historic neighborhoods like Aminabad and Chowk. Many but note that their children are unwilling to learn the art.
A celebrity chef from Lucknow has often said that the city's profound food legacy places it at the very pinnacle of the Indian street food experience. The significant impact from the UNESCO recognition, it is believed, will materialize only if Lucknow can now generate interest about its hidden eateries.
Every dish in Lucknow comes with a history – influenced by family-run food businesses, from humble street carts to busy restaurants, and closely held family recipes.
The worldwide honor, it is believed, will encourage more people worldwide to learn these tales and experience the city to savour the food wonders of Lucknow.
