Delectable kebabs, fragrant biryani, and fluffy, cloud-like desserts.
The historic city in northern India of Lucknow has consistently been a haven for gastronomes, with residents and tourists equally celebrating its superb cuisine.
A Global Honor
Recently, UNESCO honored it as a City of Gastronomy within its Creative Cities Network – placing it on a select list of world cities and sparking hopes that it will showcase Lucknow's peerless food. With this title, it becomes part of a international community of over 400 cities across over 100 countries dedicated to promoting "innovation as a driver of development that sustains urban life".
The honor "demonstrates its profound gastronomic legacy and dynamic food ecosystem," according to a spokesperson from UNESCO's Regional Office for South Asia.
Lucknow is only the second Indian city – following Hyderabad, which was selected in 2019 – to find a place in this coveted list of seventy urban centers worldwide.
A Metropolis Shaped by Cuisine
The honor for this time-honored city arrives as no surprise to its residents or avid food lovers. Many share the view that it is "an honor long overdue".
With the UNESCO designation, this cherished, bustling, and eclectic city – the capital of India's largest state – is finally in the spotlight for what has always shaped its soul: an profound love for food.
"'The day's menu, how will it be cooked' is a ongoing dialogue from waking up until night in most homes," explains a local cultural expert. "And you are often judged by the standard of food that comes out of your kitchen."
A Heritage of Nawabi Cuisine
The City of the Nawabs – as it's often referred to after its historic wealthy Muslim rulers – is noted for its succulent kebabs and a distinctive take on biryani that were conceived, refined, and taken to sublime levels in their opulent kitchens.
These kitchens of the nobility were epicenters of gastronomic creativity, merging Iranian and native Indian styles to create what became known as the food of Awadh.
It was during this time that Lucknow's iconic kebabs were fashioned. The story goes that the galouti kebab was invented to feed an ageing nawab who had lost his teeth. His culinary artists ground the meat with raw papaya, saffron, and a blend of 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 prepared on a gentle, slow heat, with the container's cover securely closed with a flour paste.
Beyond Kebabs and Biryani
In addition to the well-known kebabs and biryani, the cooks also built up a vast array of dishes that included kormas (rich curries), sheermal (saffron-infused flatbread), and shahi tukda (a decadent bread pudding).
However, Lucknow is not just about kebabs and biryani – the region is additionally a haven for vegetarians.
The local traditionally vegetarian community's cuisine not only celebrates local ingredients but also offers the city its exquisitely crafted Indian desserts, sweets, and unique street food, like chaat – tangy fried snacks.
Time-Tested Food Joints
Almost on every corner, there are tiny kiosks and stalls – hidden gems that are wildly popular with the locals.
In the central district of Hazratganj, throngs of people start milling around from the crack of dawn at a legendary tea stall to get a piping hot cup of milky masala chai, offered in kulhads, along with pillowy soft buns slathered with freshly churned white butter.
For breakfast, one can head to a no-frills joint located in the historic quarter of Aminabad. Nearly 150 years after it was established, the place is still in great demand for its hot 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 frothy dessert found in the winter. The method of making it is scientific and complicated. The cook hand-churns the milk and then leaves it out at night, allowing the nighttime moisture to give it its amazing light consistency.
On crisp mornings, street vendors line up in old city areas like Aminabad and Chowk. Some though say that their younger generation are reluctant to learn the skill.
A well-known culinary expert from Lucknow has noted that the city's rich food legacy positions it right on top of the Indian street food experience. The true benefit from the UNESCO recognition, it is believed, will materialize only if Lucknow can now build recognition about its lesser-known eateries.
Every dish in Lucknow tells a story – influenced by family-run food businesses, from humble street carts to bustling restaurants, and secret family recipes.
The global recognition, it is believed, will encourage more people around the world to explore these narratives and visit the city to savour the culinary delights of Lucknow.
