Tempting kebabs, scented biryani, and airy, cloud-like desserts.
The northern Indian city of Lucknow has long been a haven for gastronomes, with locals and visitors equally celebrating its remarkable cuisine.
A Global Honor
Recently, Unesco recognised it as a UNESCO Creative City for Gastronomy – placing it on a exclusive group of international urban centers and igniting hopes that it will highlight Lucknow's peerless food. With this status, it becomes part of a global network of cities urban centers across more than 100 countries committed to promoting "creativity as a key factor of city development that is sustainable".
The honor "stands as proof of its deep-rooted culinary traditions and vibrant culinary scene," according to a official from Unesco's regional bureau for South Asia.
Lucknow is just the second Indian city – following Hyderabad, which was selected in 2019 – to secure a position in this coveted list of seventy urban centers internationally.
A City Defined by Food
The accolade for this venerable city comes as hardly a shock to its inhabitants or avid food lovers. Many share the opinion that it is "better late than never".
With the UNESCO recognition, this cherished, lively, and diverse city – the administrative center of India's most populous state – is at last in the global gaze for what has consistently shaped its soul: an immense love for food.
"'What will be cooked, the method of preparation' is a continued dialogue from morning until night in many homes," explains a local cultural expert. "And you are truly judged by the quality of food that emerges from your kitchen."
A Royal Culinary Legacy
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 unique take on biryani that were created, evolved, and raised to extraordinary levels in their opulent kitchens.
These kitchens of the nobility were centers of gastronomic creativity, merging Iranian and local Indian styles to create what became known as the cuisine of Awadh.
It was in this era that Lucknow's iconic kebabs were fashioned. 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, saffron, and a blend of spices and made it so fine that it required no chewing.
But arguably the biggest 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 sealed with dough.
More Than Just Famous Dishes
Besides the obvious kebabs and biryani, the culinary masters also developed a vast array of dishes that included kormas (rich curries), sheermal (saffron-infused flatbread), and shahi tukda (a sweet bread pudding).
However, Lucknow is not only about kebabs and biryani – the region is also a vegetarian's paradise.
The local traditionally vegetarian community's cuisine doesn't just highlights fresh harvests but also gives the city its highly curated Indian desserts, sweets, and unique street food, like chaat – spicy fried snacks.
Hidden Gems and Legacy Eateries
Nearly on many street corners, there are tiny kiosks and kiosks – lesser-known gems that are immensely favored by the locals.
In the heart of the city of Hazratganj, throngs of people start gathering from the crack of dawn at a legendary tea stall to get a steaming cup of milky masala chai, served in clay glasses, along with incredibly soft buns covered in freshly churned white butter.
In the morning, one can head to a simple joint located in the old city area of Aminabad. Nearly 150 years after it was established, the place is still much sought-after for its hot kachoris (fried bread stuffed with lentils) and jalebis (crispy, syrup-soaked sweets).
Ensuring Legacy Continues
The city also offers special seasonal delights, such as makkhan malai, a cloud-like dessert savored in the winter. The method of making it is precise and demanding. The artisan whisks the milk and then sets it out at night, allowing the nighttime moisture to give it its incredible frothy texture.
On cold mornings, street vendors can be seen in old city areas like Aminabad and Chowk. Some however note that their younger generation do not want to take up the craft.
A celebrity chef from Lucknow has frequently stated that the city's profound food legacy puts it among the best of the Indian street food experience. The significant impact from the UNESCO recognition, it is believed, will be realized only if Lucknow can now generate interest about its under-the-radar eateries.
Every dish in Lucknow tells a story – shaped by generational food businesses, from modest street carts to bustling restaurants, and closely held family recipes.
The worldwide honor, it is hoped, will encourage more people around the world to learn these tales and experience the city to taste the food wonders of Lucknow.
