Delectable kebabs, fragrant biryani, and whipped, cloud-like desserts.
The northern Indian city of Lucknow has long been a food lovers' paradise, with inhabitants and travelers alike praising its remarkable cuisine.
A Global Honor
Recently, Unesco recognised it as a UNESCO Creative City for Gastronomy – adding it to a select group of world cities and kindling hopes that it will highlight Lucknow's sublime food. With this status, it enters a international community of more than four hundred urban centers across over 100 countries dedicated to promoting "artistic expression as a catalyst of city development that is sustainable".
The honor "demonstrates its centuries-old food heritage and lively culinary scene," according to a official from Unesco's Regional Office for South Asia.
Lucknow is just the second Indian city – following Hyderabad, which was picked in 2019 – to find a place in this highly sought-after list of seventy urban centers internationally.
A City Defined by Food
The accolade for this time-honored city is no surprise to its inhabitants or dedicated food lovers. Many share the view that it is "better late than never".
With the UNESCO designation, this beloved, bustling, and vibrant city – the capital of India's largest state – is finally in the global gaze for what has perennially characterized its soul: an unparalleled love for food.
"'What's for dinner, how should it be prepared' is a continued discussion from morning until going to bed in many homes," explains a local cultural expert. "And you are often evaluated by the standard of food that emerges from your kitchen."
A Royal Culinary Legacy
The City of Nawabs – as it's often referred to after its 18th and 19th Century wealthy Muslim rulers – is renowned for its tender kebabs and a singular take on biryani that were invented, evolved, and taken to extraordinary levels in their royal kitchens.
These royal kitchens were centers of food experimentation, fusing Persian and indigenous Indian styles to create what became known as the cuisine of Awadh.
It was in this era that Lucknow's most famous kebabs were developed. As the tale is told that the mutton galouti was created to cater to an elderly nawab who had no longer had his teeth. His chefs processed the meat with papaya, kesar, and a blend of spices and made it so soft that it needed no chewing.
But perhaps the biggest contribution of the chefs of Awadh was the slow-cook Dum pukht technique, where food is cooked on a low, slow heat, with the container's cover securely sealed with dough.
More Than Just Famous Dishes
Besides the well-known kebabs and biryani, the cooks also created a repertoire 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 additionally a dream for plant-based eaters.
The local Baniya community's cuisine doesn't just celebrates fresh harvests but also gives the city its highly curated Indian desserts, sweets, and unique street food, like chaat – spicy fried snacks.
Time-Tested Food Joints
Nearly on many street corners, there are little shops and kiosks – lesser-known gems that are wildly favored by the locals.
In the city center of Hazratganj, large gatherings start assembling from the crack of dawn at a renowned tea stall to get a piping hot cup of spiced tea with milk, offered in kulhads, along with fluffy buns slathered with freshly churned white butter.
To start the day, one can head to a unpretentious joint situated in the historic quarter of Aminabad. Nearly 150 years after it was set up, the place is still highly popular for its hot kachoris (fried bread stuffed with lentils) and jalebis (crispy, syrup-soaked sweets).
Ensuring Legacy Continues
The city also offers unique treats of the season, such as makkhan malai, a cloud-like dessert savored in the winter. The method of making it is intricate and complicated. The artisan beats the milk and then exposes it at night, allowing the nighttime moisture to give it its amazing light consistency.
On chilly mornings, street vendors can be seen in historic neighborhoods like Aminabad and Chowk. Many though express concern that their children do not want to learn the art.
A renowned chef from Lucknow has noted that the city's immense food legacy positions it at the very pinnacle of the Indian street food experience. The real value from the UNESCO recognition, however, will occur only if Lucknow can now create awareness about its lesser-known eateries.
Every dish in Lucknow has a narrative – influenced by generational food businesses, from humble street carts to busy restaurants, and closely held family recipes.
The worldwide honor, it is anticipated, will motivate more people around the world to explore these tales and visit the city to taste the food wonders of Lucknow.
