Delectable kebabs, aromatic biryani, and fluffy, cloud-like desserts.
The metropolis in India's north of Lucknow has consistently been a haven for gastronomes, with residents and tourists alike praising its exquisite cuisine.
Worldwide Recognition
Last month, Unesco recognised it as a UNESCO Creative City for Gastronomy – adding it to a select roster of international urban centers and kindling hopes that it will showcase Lucknow's sublime food. With this status, it enters a worldwide network of more than four hundred cities across more than 100 countries dedicated to promoting "creativity as a key factor of sustainable urban development".
The honor "demonstrates its centuries-old food heritage and dynamic food ecosystem," according to a spokesperson from UNESCO's regional bureau for South Asia.
Lucknow is just the second Indian city – following Hyderabad, which was chosen in 2019 – to find a place in this coveted list of seventy urban centers internationally.
A City Defined by Food
The recognition for this time-honored city comes as no surprise to its inhabitants or passionate food lovers. Many share the view that it is "an honor long overdue".
With the UNESCO recognition, this cherished, bustling, and diverse city – the administrative center of India's biggest state – is at last in the spotlight for what has always characterized its soul: an profound love for food.
"'What's for dinner, the method of preparation' is a ongoing discussion from waking up until going to bed in many homes," explains a local cultural expert. "And you are truly evaluated by the quality of food that emerges from your kitchen."
A Royal Culinary Legacy
The City of Nawabs – as it's popularly called after its 18th and 19th-century wealthy Muslim rulers – is renowned for its succulent kebabs and a distinctive take on biryani that were created, refined, and taken to sublime levels in their opulent kitchens.
These royal kitchens were centers of gastronomic creativity, fusing Iranian and indigenous Indian styles to create what became known as the culinary tradition of Awadh.
It was during this time that Lucknow's most famous kebabs were created. Legend has it that the galouti kebab was devised to cater to an elderly nawab who had no longer had his teeth. His culinary artists ground the meat with raw papaya, kesar, and spices and made it so fine that it needed no chewing.
But perhaps the greatest contribution of the cooks of Awadh was the slow-cooking Dum pukht technique, where food is cooked on a low, slow heat, with the pot's lid tightly closed with a flour paste.
More Than Just Famous Dishes
In addition to the well-known kebabs and biryani, the culinary masters also developed a repertoire of dishes that included kormas (creamy curries), sheermal (saffron-infused flatbread), and shahi tukda (a sweet bread pudding).
However, Lucknow is far more than kebabs and biryani – the region is also a haven for vegetarians.
The local Baniya community's cuisine doesn't just highlights fresh harvests but also provides the city its highly curated Indian desserts, sweets, and unique street food, like chaat – spicy fried snacks.
Time-Tested Food Joints
Virtually on countless corners, there are small establishments and carts – lesser-known delights that are immensely popular with the locals.
In the heart of the city of Hazratganj, large gatherings start assembling from early morning at a renowned tea stall to get a steaming cup of spiced tea with milk, offered in clay glasses, along with pillowy soft buns slathered with freshly churned white butter.
In the morning, one can visit a simple joint located in the old city area of Aminabad. Almost 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 boasts special treats of the season, such as makkhan malai, a cloud-like dessert savored in the winter. The method of making it is precise and demanding. The cook whisks the milk and then leaves it out at night, allowing the dew to give it its incredible airy feel.
On crisp mornings, street vendors line up in old city areas like Aminabad and Chowk. A number of though say that their younger generation are unwilling to take up the art.
A celebrity chef from Lucknow has noted that the city's immense food legacy places it among the best of the Indian street food experience. The significant impact from the UNESCO recognition, it is believed, will materialize only if Lucknow can now build recognition about its lesser-known eateries.
Every dish in Lucknow has a narrative – shaped by generational food businesses, from humble street carts to busy restaurants, and closely held family recipes.
The worldwide honor, it is anticipated, will inspire more people globally to learn these narratives and travel to the city to delight in the food wonders of Lucknow.
