Mouth-watering kebabs, scented biryani, and fluffy, ethereal desserts.
The northern Indian city of Lucknow has forever been a haven for gastronomes, with inhabitants and travelers alike praising its remarkable cuisine.
Worldwide Recognition
Recently, The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization honored it as a UNESCO Creative City for Gastronomy – adding it to a select group of global cities and kindling hopes that it will showcase Lucknow's peerless food. With this title, it joins a global network of over 400 urban centers across over 100 countries focused on promoting "creativity as a catalyst of city development that is sustainable".
The honor "demonstrates its deep-rooted gastronomic legacy and lively culinary scene," as noted by a official from UNESCO's Regional Office for South Asia.
Lucknow is merely the second Indian city – after Hyderabad, which was picked in 2019 – to earn a spot in this prestigious list of seventy urban centers around the world.
An Urban Center with a Culinary Soul
The honor for this venerable city comes as little surprise to its inhabitants or avid food lovers. Many share the sentiment that it is "better late than never".
With the UNESCO accolade, this cherished, chaotic, and diverse city – the administrative center of India's most populous state – is now in the spotlight for what has perennially shaped its heart: an unparalleled passion for food.
"'What's for dinner, how will it be cooked' is a ongoing dialogue from waking up until going to bed in most homes," explains a local cultural expert. "And you are actually evaluated by the standard of food that comes out of your kitchen."
A Heritage of Nawabi Cuisine
The City of Nawabs – as it's often referred to after its 18th and 19th Century wealthy Muslim rulers – is renowned for its tender kebabs and a singular take on biryani that were invented, perfected, and taken to sublime levels in their imperial kitchens.
These kitchens of the nobility were hubs of culinary innovations, merging Persian and local Indian styles to create what became known as the cuisine of Awadh.
It was in that period that Lucknow's most famous kebabs were fashioned. The story goes that the mutton galouti was devised to feed an elderly nawab who had lost his teeth. His cooks processed the meat with papaya, kesar, and spices and made it so soft 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 cooked on a low, slow heat, with the container's cover securely sealed with a flour paste.
A Diverse Culinary Landscape
Besides the well-known kebabs and biryani, the cooks also created a vast array of dishes that included kormas (creamy curries), sheermal (saffron-infused flatbread), and shahi tukda (a decadent bread pudding).
However, Lucknow is far more than kebabs and biryani – the region is also a vegetarian's paradise.
The local Baniya community's cuisine doesn't just celebrates fresh harvests but also provides the city its meticulously prepared Indian desserts, sweets, and unique street food, like chaat – tangy fried snacks.
Hidden Gems and Legacy Eateries
Virtually on many street corners, there are little shops and stalls – hidden gems that are extremely favored by the locals.
In the heart of the city of Hazratganj, throngs of people start gathering from 5 am at a renowned tea stall to get a piping hot cup of spiced tea with milk, offered in earthenware cups, along with pillowy soft buns lathered with freshly churned white butter.
For breakfast, one can visit a simple joint operating in the old city area of Aminabad. Almost 150 years after it was set up, the place is still in great demand for its freshly fried kachoris (fried bread stuffed with lentils) and jalebis (crispy, syrup-soaked sweets).
Safeguarding a Culinary Heritage
The city also presents unique seasonal delights, such as makkhan malai, a cloud-like dessert found in the winter. The method of making it is scientific and involved. The cook whisks the milk and then exposes it at night, allowing the dew to give it its unique airy feel.
On crisp mornings, street vendors line up in old city areas like Aminabad and Chowk. Some though note that their younger generation are reluctant to learn the art.
A renowned chef from Lucknow has often said that the city's immense food legacy puts it among the best of the Indian street food experience. The true benefit from the UNESCO recognition, however, will be realized only if Lucknow can now build recognition about its under-the-radar eateries.
Every dish in Lucknow comes with a history – crafted by multi-generational food businesses, from modest street carts to bustling restaurants, and guarded family recipes.
The global recognition, it is hoped, will motivate more people worldwide to explore these stories and travel to the city to delight in the food wonders of Lucknow.
