Tempting kebabs, scented biryani, and fluffy, ethereal desserts.
The northern Indian city of Lucknow has long been a haven for gastronomes, with locals and visitors equally praising its superb cuisine.
A Global Honor
Recently, The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization recognised it as a City of Gastronomy within its Creative Cities Network – including it in a exclusive group of international urban centers and sparking hopes that it will highlight Lucknow's peerless food. With this designation, it enters a worldwide network of more than four hundred cities across over 100 countries focused on promoting "creativity as a key factor of city development that is sustainable".
The honor "demonstrates its profound culinary traditions and lively gastronomic culture," as noted by a official from Unesco's regional bureau for South Asia.
Lucknow is just the second Indian city – after Hyderabad, which was chosen in 2019 – to find a place in this prestigious list of seventy urban centers around the world.
A City Defined by Food
The recognition for this time-honored city arrives as no surprise to its residents or dedicated food lovers. Many echo the view that it is "a recognition that was delayed".
With the UNESCO designation, this cherished, chaotic, and diverse city – the capital of India's most populous state – is now in the limelight for what has always shaped its essence: an immense devotion for food.
"'What's for dinner, how will it be cooked' is a ongoing discussion from waking up until night in many homes," notes a local cultural expert. "And you are actually assessed by the standard of food that emerges from your kitchen."
A Heritage of Nawabi Cuisine
The City of Nawabs – as it's popularly called after its historic opulent Muslim rulers – is renowned for its succulent kebabs and a unique take on biryani that were created, refined, and taken to sublime levels in their imperial kitchens.
These kitchens of the nobility were epicenters of gastronomic creativity, merging Persian and local Indian styles to create what became known as the food of Awadh.
It was in this era that Lucknow's renowned kebabs were developed. As the tale is told that the galouti kebab was created to feed an elderly nawab who had lost his teeth. His cooks ground the meat with raw papaya, kesar, and a blend of spices and made it so silky that it needed no chewing.
But perhaps the most significant contribution of the chefs of Awadh was the slow-cooking Dum pukht technique, where food is prepared on a gentle, leisurely heat, with the pot's lid tightly closed with a flour paste.
A Diverse Culinary Landscape
In addition to the obvious kebabs and biryani, the cooks also built up a collection of dishes that included kormas (creamy curries), sheermal (saffron-infused flatbread), and shahi tukda (a decadent bread pudding).
However, Lucknow is not just about kebabs and biryani – the region is also a dream for plant-based eaters.
The local traditionally vegetarian community's cuisine doesn't just highlights seasonal produce but also offers the city its meticulously prepared Indian desserts, sweets, and distinctive street food, like chaat – zesty fried snacks.
Time-Tested Food Joints
Virtually on many street corners, there are little shops and kiosks – lesser-known delights that are extremely favored by the locals.
In the heart of the city of Hazratganj, huge crowds start assembling from early morning at a legendary tea stall to get a steaming cup of milky masala chai, offered in earthenware cups, along with incredibly soft buns slathered with hand-churned white butter.
For breakfast, one can visit a simple joint situated 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).
Ensuring Legacy Continues
The city also presents remarkable seasonal delights, such as makkhan malai, a airy dessert found in the winter. The process of making it is precise and involved. The vendor whisks the milk and then exposes it at night, allowing the dew to give it its incredible light consistency.
On crisp mornings, street vendors line up in historic neighborhoods like Aminabad and Chowk. A number of though note that their children do not want to learn the craft.
A renowned chef from Lucknow has noted that the city's profound food legacy positions it among the best of the Indian street food experience. The real value from the UNESCO recognition, it is believed, will occur only if Lucknow can now create awareness about its under-the-radar eateries.
Every dish in Lucknow tells a story – shaped by family-run food businesses, from humble street carts to lively restaurants, and secret family recipes.
The global recognition, it is believed, will inspire more people globally to explore these narratives and travel to the city to savour the food wonders of Lucknow.
