Delectable kebabs, scented biryani, and whipped, cloud-like desserts.
The northern Indian city of Lucknow has forever been a haven for gastronomes, with residents and tourists alike celebrating its exquisite cuisine.
An International Accolade
Last month, Unesco honored it as a UNESCO Creative City for Gastronomy – including it in a prestigious group of global cities and kindling hopes that it will spotlight Lucknow's peerless food. With this designation, it enters a global network of over 400 metropolises across more than 100 countries focused on promoting "artistic expression as a key factor of sustainable urban development".
The accolade "demonstrates its profound food heritage and lively gastronomic culture," as stated by a spokesperson from Unesco's Regional Office for South Asia.
Lucknow is just the second Indian city – following Hyderabad, which was picked in 2019 – to secure a position in this coveted list of seventy urban centers worldwide.
A City Defined by Food
The honor for this historic city is little surprise to its locals or avid food lovers. Many share the sentiment that it is "a recognition that was delayed".
With the UNESCO recognition, this adored, chaotic, and eclectic city – the administrative center of India's most populous state – is now in the global gaze for what has perennially shaped its soul: an unparalleled passion for food.
"'What will be cooked, the method of preparation' is a constant conversation from morning until night in most homes," explains a local cultural expert. "And you are truly judged by the quality of food that is produced in your kitchen."
A Heritage of Nawabi Cuisine
The Nawabi City – as it's popularly called after its 18th and 19th-century wealthy Muslim rulers – is famed for its melt-in-the-mouth kebabs and a singular take on biryani that were conceived, refined, and raised to extraordinary levels in their opulent kitchens.
These kitchens of the nobility were hubs of gastronomic creativity, fusing Iranian and indigenous Indian styles to create what became known as the food of Awadh.
It was in this era that Lucknow's iconic kebabs were fashioned. As the tale is told that the galouti kebab was invented to cater to an elderly nawab who had lost his teeth. His chefs processed the meat with papaya, saffron, and spices and made it so fine that it needed no chewing.
But perhaps the greatest contribution of the chefs of Awadh was the slow-cooking Dum pukht technique, where food is prepared on a gentle, leisurely heat, with the container's cover securely closed with dough.
More Than Just Famous Dishes
Besides the well-known kebabs and biryani, the culinary masters 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 not only about kebabs and biryani – the region is additionally a vegetarian's paradise.
The local traditionally vegetarian community's cuisine doesn't just celebrates seasonal produce but also gives the city its meticulously prepared Indian desserts, sweets, and distinctive street food, like chaat – tangy fried snacks.
Hidden Gems and Legacy Eateries
Virtually on many street corners, there are tiny kiosks and carts – lesser-known gems that are immensely popular with the locals.
In the city center of Hazratganj, large gatherings start milling around from 5 am at a famous tea stall to get a steaming cup of spiced tea with milk, offered in earthenware cups, along with pillowy soft buns slathered with hand-churned white butter.
For breakfast, one can make their way to a no-frills joint operating in the old city area of Aminabad. Nearly 150 years after it was established, the place is still much sought-after for its freshly fried kachoris (fried bread stuffed with lentils) and jalebis (crispy, syrup-soaked sweets).
Preserving Tradition for the Future
The city also offers special treats of the season, such as makkhan malai, a frothy dessert available in the winter. The process of making it is intricate and complicated. The cook whisks the milk and then exposes it at night, allowing the dew to give it its unique frothy texture.
On cold mornings, street vendors line up in old city areas like Aminabad and Chowk. A number of but say that their children do not want to take up the craft.
A well-known culinary expert from Lucknow has often said that the city's immense food legacy positions it right on top of the Indian street food experience. The true benefit from the UNESCO recognition, however, will materialize only if Lucknow can now create awareness about its lesser-known eateries.
Every dish in Lucknow has a narrative – crafted by multi-generational food businesses, from modest street carts to lively restaurants, and guarded family recipes.
The worldwide honor, it is hoped, will motivate more people worldwide to discover these tales and visit the city to taste the food wonders of Lucknow.
