Delectable kebabs, aromatic biryani, and whipped, ethereal desserts.
The historic city in northern India of Lucknow has consistently been a haven for gastronomes, with locals and tourists alike swearing by its exquisite cuisine.
A Global Honor
In a recent announcement, UNESCO honored it as a UNESCO Creative City for Gastronomy – adding it to a select roster of world cities and sparking hopes that it will spotlight Lucknow's peerless food. With this designation, it enters a international community of cities urban centers across more than 100 countries dedicated to promoting "innovation as a catalyst of sustainable urban development".
The honor "demonstrates its profound food heritage and vibrant food ecosystem," as noted by 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 highly sought-after list of 70 cities around the world.
A Metropolis Shaped by Cuisine
The honor for this venerable city is little surprise to its residents or dedicated food lovers. Many share the view that it is "better late than never".
With the UNESCO designation, this beloved, bustling, and diverse city – the capital of India's largest state – is at last in the global gaze for what has consistently shaped its heart: an profound passion for food.
"'What will be cooked, how should it be prepared' is a continued discussion from waking up until night in most homes," notes a local cultural expert. "And you are often assessed by the standard of food that emerges from your kitchen."
A Royal Culinary Legacy
The Nawabi City – as it's popularly called after its historic opulent Muslim rulers – is noted for its succulent kebabs and a unique take on biryani that were conceived, perfected, and taken to extraordinary levels in their imperial kitchens.
These royal kitchens were centers of gastronomic creativity, blending Persian and native Indian styles to create what became known as the food of Awadh.
It was in this era that Lucknow's most famous kebabs were fashioned. As the tale is told that the galouti kebab was devised to cater to an ageing nawab who had lost his teeth. His chefs minced the meat with papaya, kesar, and spices and made it so soft that it required no chewing.
But perhaps the most significant contribution of the cooks of Awadh was the slow-cook Dum pukht technique, where food is cooked on a gentle, leisurely heat, with the pot's lid securely closed with dough.
A Diverse Culinary Landscape
Apart from the well-known kebabs and biryani, the cooks also built up a vast array of dishes that included kormas (creamy curries), sheermal (saffron-infused flatbread), and shahi tukda (a sweet bread pudding).
However, Lucknow is not just 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 offers the city its highly curated Indian desserts, sweets, and unique street food, like chaat – spicy fried snacks.
Time-Tested Food Joints
Nearly on countless corners, there are small establishments and stalls – lesser-known gems that are extremely popular with the locals.
In the city center of Hazratganj, huge crowds 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 covered in freshly churned white butter.
For breakfast, one can head to a unpretentious joint operating in the historic quarter of Aminabad. Almost 150 years after it was set up, 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 remarkable seasonal delights, such as makkhan malai, a cloud-like dessert found in the winter. The technique of making it is precise and demanding. The vendor hand-churns the milk and then leaves it out at night, allowing the dew to give it its unique airy feel.
On chilly mornings, street vendors line up in old city areas like Aminabad and Chowk. Many though say that their children are reluctant to master the skill.
A well-known culinary expert from Lucknow has noted that the city's immense food legacy positions it right on top of the Indian street food experience. The true benefit from the UNESCO recognition, however, will materialize only if Lucknow can now build recognition about its under-the-radar eateries.
Every dish in Lucknow tells a story – shaped by multi-generational food businesses, from modest street carts to lively restaurants, and closely held family recipes.
The global recognition, it is anticipated, will encourage more people globally to learn these tales and experience the city to taste the gastronomic treasures of Lucknow.
