Mouth-watering kebabs, aromatic biryani, and whipped, ethereal desserts.
The historic city in northern India of Lucknow has forever been a food lovers' paradise, with residents and visitors alike celebrating its superb cuisine.
A Global Honor
In a recent announcement, The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization honored it as a City of Gastronomy within its Creative Cities Network – including it in a prestigious group of international urban centers and kindling hopes that it will highlight Lucknow's peerless food. With this status, it joins a worldwide network of over 400 metropolises across over 100 countries dedicated to promoting "creativity as a catalyst of development that sustains urban life".
The recognition "demonstrates its deep-rooted gastronomic legacy and lively culinary scene," as noted by a representative from UNESCO's Regional Office for South Asia.
Lucknow is only the second Indian city – after Hyderabad, which was selected in 2019 – to earn a spot in this coveted list of seventy urban centers around the world.
An Urban Center with a Culinary Soul
The honor for this historic city arrives as no surprise to its inhabitants or avid food lovers. Many share the sentiment that it is "better late than never".
With the UNESCO recognition, this adored, bustling, and vibrant city – the administrative center of India's largest state – is at last in the global gaze for what has consistently shaped its essence: an profound love for food.
"'The day's menu, how should it be prepared' is a continued conversation from waking up until night in many homes," explains a local cultural expert. "And you are often judged 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 historic wealthy Muslim rulers – is renowned for its melt-in-the-mouth kebabs and a distinctive take on biryani that were conceived, refined, and taken to exquisite levels in their royal kitchens.
These imperial kitchens were epicenters of food experimentation, blending Persian and local Indian styles to create what became known as the cuisine of Awadh.
It was in that period that Lucknow's iconic kebabs were developed. As the tale is told that the galouti kebab was invented to cater to an ageing nawab who had no longer had his teeth. His culinary artists processed the meat with papaya, kesar, and spices and made it so silky that it required no chewing.
But perhaps the most significant contribution of the cooks of Awadh was the slow-cooking Dum pukht technique, where food is prepared on a gentle, slow heat, with the pot's lid securely closed with dough.
Beyond Kebabs and Biryani
Apart from the well-known kebabs and biryani, the culinary masters also built up a collection of dishes that included kormas (creamy curries), sheermal (saffron-infused flatbread), and shahi tukda (a rich bread pudding).
However, Lucknow is far more than kebabs and biryani – the region is additionally a haven for vegetarians.
The local Baniya community's cuisine not only celebrates seasonal produce 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 gems that are wildly loved by the locals.
In the central district of Hazratganj, large gatherings start milling around from the crack of dawn at a famous tea stall to get a piping hot cup of spiced tea with milk, served in kulhads, along with pillowy soft buns covered in freshly churned white butter.
To start the day, one can make their way to a simple joint located in the old city area of Aminabad. Nearly 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).
Ensuring Legacy Continues
The city also presents remarkable treats of the season, such as makkhan malai, a frothy dessert savored in the winter. The method of making it is intricate and demanding. The cook whisks the milk and then leaves it out at night, allowing the nighttime moisture to give it its incredible frothy texture.
On cold mornings, street vendors line up in old city areas like Aminabad and Chowk. A number of but say that their younger generation do not want to take up the craft.
A well-known culinary expert from Lucknow has often said that the city's rich food legacy positions it right on top of the Indian street food experience. The significant impact from the UNESCO recognition, however, will materialize only if Lucknow can now build recognition about its under-the-radar eateries.
Every dish in Lucknow comes with a history – shaped by generational food businesses, from humble street carts to lively restaurants, and secret family recipes.
The global recognition, it is anticipated, will inspire more people around the world to discover these narratives and experience the city to taste the food wonders of Lucknow.
