Tempting kebabs, fragrant biryani, and whipped, cloud-like desserts.
The historic city in northern India of Lucknow has consistently been a food lovers' paradise, with inhabitants and travelers alike swearing by its superb cuisine.
Worldwide Recognition
In a recent announcement, Unesco honored it as a City of Gastronomy within its Creative Cities Network – adding it to a exclusive list of international urban centers and sparking hopes that it will spotlight Lucknow's peerless food. With this title, it becomes part of a worldwide network of over 400 urban centers across more than 100 countries committed to promoting "artistic expression as a key factor of sustainable urban development".
The honor "stands as proof of its profound food heritage and lively culinary scene," as stated by a official from UNESCO's regional bureau for South Asia.
Lucknow is merely the second Indian city – after Hyderabad, which was picked in 2019 – to earn a spot in this highly sought-after list of seventy urban centers worldwide.
An Urban Center with a Culinary Soul
The accolade for this venerable city is little surprise to its residents or dedicated food lovers. Many share the sentiment that it is "better late than never".
With the UNESCO recognition, this adored, lively, and eclectic city – the administrative center of India's biggest state – is now in the limelight for what has always characterized its soul: an immense devotion for food.
"'What's for dinner, how should it be prepared' is a ongoing dialogue from morning until night in many homes," notes a local cultural expert. "And you are often evaluated by the standard of food that is produced in your kitchen."
A Heritage of Nawabi Cuisine
The City of the 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 invented, evolved, and elevated to sublime levels in their royal kitchens.
These royal kitchens were hubs of culinary innovations, merging Persian and indigenous Indian styles to create what became known as the food of Awadh.
It was during this time that Lucknow's most famous kebabs were fashioned. As the tale is told that the mutton galouti was invented to feed an ageing nawab who had no longer had his teeth. His chefs minced the meat with raw papaya, kesar, and spices and made it so silky that it required no chewing.
But arguably the most significant contribution of the chefs of Awadh was the slow-cook Dum pukht technique, where food is prepared on a gentle, slow heat, with the container's cover securely sealed with a flour paste.
A Diverse Culinary Landscape
Apart from the obvious kebabs and biryani, the cooks also developed a vast array of dishes that included kormas (creamy curries), sheermal (saffron-infused flatbread), and shahi tukda (a decadent bread pudding).
However, Lucknow is far more than kebabs and biryani – the region is also a vegetarian's paradise.
The local Baniya community's cuisine doesn't just showcases seasonal produce but also offers the city its highly curated Indian desserts, sweets, and distinctive street food, like chaat – spicy fried snacks.
Hidden Gems and Legacy Eateries
Nearly on every corner, there are tiny kiosks and stalls – little-known gems that are extremely loved by the locals.
In the central district of Hazratganj, large gatherings start milling around from the crack of dawn at a legendary tea stall to get a steaming cup of milky masala chai, offered in kulhads, along with pillowy soft buns slathered with freshly churned white butter.
For breakfast, one can visit a unpretentious joint operating in the historic quarter of Aminabad. Nearly 150 years after it was set up, the place is still in great demand for its freshly fried kachoris (fried bread stuffed with lentils) and jalebis (crispy, syrup-soaked sweets).
Ensuring Legacy Continues
The city also boasts unique seasonal delights, such as makkhan malai, a frothy dessert savored in the winter. The process of making it is intricate and demanding. The cook hand-churns the milk and then exposes it at night, allowing the dew to give it its amazing frothy texture.
On crisp mornings, street vendors are often seen in historic neighborhoods like Aminabad and Chowk. Many though say that their younger generation do not want to learn the art.
A celebrity chef from Lucknow has frequently stated 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, however, will occur only if Lucknow can now build recognition about its under-the-radar eateries.
Every dish in Lucknow comes with a history – shaped by multi-generational food businesses, from modest street carts to lively restaurants, and closely held family recipes.
The international acclaim, it is believed, will encourage more people worldwide to learn these tales and experience the city to delight in the gastronomic treasures of Lucknow.
