Tempting kebabs, fragrant biryani, and whipped, cloud-like desserts.
The northern Indian city of Lucknow has forever been a food lovers' paradise, with inhabitants and tourists alike swearing by its remarkable cuisine.
A Global Honor
Recently, The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization honored it as a City of Gastronomy within its Creative Cities Network – placing it on a select group of international urban centers and kindling hopes that it will spotlight Lucknow's peerless food. With this status, it enters a worldwide network of cities metropolises across over 100 countries focused on promoting "artistic expression as a catalyst of city development that is sustainable".
The accolade "is a testament to its centuries-old food heritage and lively gastronomic culture," as noted by a official from Unesco's Regional Office for South Asia.
Lucknow is just the second Indian city – after Hyderabad, which was chosen in 2019 – to secure a position in this prestigious list of seventy urban centers around the world.
An Urban Center with a Culinary Soul
The accolade for this historic city arrives as hardly a shock to its locals or dedicated food lovers. Many agree with the view that it is "an honor long overdue".
With the UNESCO designation, this cherished, lively, and vibrant city – the capital of India's largest state – is now in the global gaze for what has always shaped its heart: an profound love for food.
"'What will be cooked, how should it be prepared' is a constant conversation from morning until night in most homes," explains a local cultural expert. "And you are actually assessed by the quality of food that emerges from your kitchen."
An Imperial Food Tradition
The City of Nawabs – as it's widely known after its 18th and 19th-century affluent Muslim rulers – is renowned for its succulent kebabs and a singular take on biryani that were created, evolved, and taken to sublime levels in their imperial kitchens.
These kitchens of the nobility were epicenters of gastronomic creativity, blending Persian and local 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. As the tale is told that the galouti kebab was invented to feed an ageing nawab who had no longer had his teeth. His chefs minced the meat with papaya, saffron, and spices and made it so soft that it required no chewing.
But arguably the greatest contribution of the chefs of Awadh was the slow-cook Dum pukht technique, where food is cooked on a low, leisurely heat, with the pot's lid securely sealed with a flour paste.
Beyond Kebabs and Biryani
In addition to the obvious kebabs and biryani, the culinary masters also built up 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 just about kebabs and biryani – the region is also a vegetarian's paradise.
The local Baniya community's cuisine doesn't just showcases local ingredients but also offers the city its highly curated Indian desserts, sweets, and unique street food, like chaat – tangy fried snacks.
Time-Tested Food Joints
Nearly on many street corners, there are small establishments and stalls – hidden treasures that are extremely popular with the locals.
In the city center of Hazratganj, huge crowds start assembling from early morning at a renowned tea stall to get a steaming cup of spiced tea with milk, offered in earthenware cups, along with incredibly soft buns covered in hand-churned white butter.
To start the day, one can head to a no-frills joint operating in the old city area of Aminabad. Nearly 150 years after it was founded, 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 boasts remarkable seasonal delights, such as makkhan malai, a cloud-like dessert found in the winter. The technique of making it is precise and complicated. The vendor whisks the milk and then leaves it out at night, allowing the dew to give it its amazing frothy texture.
On chilly mornings, street vendors can be seen in old city areas like Aminabad and Chowk. A number of but express concern that their children are reluctant to take up the art.
A celebrity chef from Lucknow has noted that the city's rich food legacy places it right on top of the Indian street food experience. The significant impact from the UNESCO recognition, however, will be realized only if Lucknow can now generate interest about its under-the-radar eateries.
Every dish in Lucknow comes with a history – crafted by family-run food businesses, from humble street carts to bustling restaurants, and closely held family recipes.
The global recognition, it is believed, will motivate more people globally to discover these tales and travel to the city to savour the gastronomic treasures of Lucknow.
