Delectable kebabs, scented biryani, and whipped, ethereal desserts.
The historic city in northern India of Lucknow has forever been a dream destination for epicures, with locals and travelers alike celebrating its superb cuisine.
Worldwide Recognition
Recently, Unesco honored it as a UNESCO Creative City for Gastronomy – including it in a prestigious group of world cities and sparking hopes that it will highlight Lucknow's exceptional food. With this status, it enters a worldwide network of more than four hundred cities across over 100 countries committed to promoting "innovation as a key factor of sustainable urban development".
The honor "demonstrates its centuries-old food heritage and lively culinary scene," according to a spokesperson from Unesco's regional bureau for South Asia.
Lucknow is just the second Indian city – after Hyderabad, which was selected in 2019 – to earn a spot in this prestigious list of seventy urban centers around the world.
An Urban Center with a Culinary Soul
The honor for this time-honored city arrives as hardly a shock to its inhabitants or avid food lovers. Many agree with the view that it is "an honor long overdue".
With the UNESCO accolade, this beloved, chaotic, and eclectic city – the administrative center of India's largest state – is now in the limelight for what has consistently characterized its essence: an unparalleled love for food.
"'The day's menu, the method of preparation' is a continued dialogue from morning until going to bed in most homes," explains a local cultural expert. "And you are actually evaluated by the quality of food that is produced in your kitchen."
A Heritage of Nawabi Cuisine
The City of Nawabs – as it's popularly called after its 18th and 19th Century opulent Muslim rulers – is renowned for its tender kebabs and a singular take on biryani that were conceived, evolved, and taken to extraordinary levels in their royal kitchens.
These kitchens of the nobility were centers of food experimentation, fusing Persian and native Indian styles to create what became known as the cuisine of Awadh.
It was in this era that Lucknow's renowned kebabs were created. As the tale is told that the galouti kebab was invented to cater to an elderly nawab who had lost his teeth. His culinary artists minced the meat with raw papaya, saffron, and spices and made it so soft 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 cooked on a gentle, leisurely heat, with the pot's lid tightly closed with dough.
A Diverse Culinary Landscape
Besides the famous kebabs and biryani, the cooks also built up a repertoire of dishes that included kormas (rich curries), sheermal (saffron-infused flatbread), and shahi tukda (a rich bread pudding).
However, Lucknow is not only about kebabs and biryani – the region is also a dream for plant-based eaters.
The local traditionally vegetarian community's cuisine not only showcases fresh harvests but also provides the city its meticulously prepared Indian desserts, sweets, and distinctive street food, like chaat – tangy fried snacks.
Time-Tested Food Joints
Nearly on every corner, there are tiny kiosks and stalls – lesser-known treasures that are wildly favored by the locals.
In the central district of Hazratganj, large gatherings start gathering from 5 am at a legendary tea stall to get a piping hot cup of spiced tea with milk, offered in earthenware cups, along with pillowy soft buns lathered with hand-churned white butter.
To start the day, one can visit a simple joint situated in the historic quarter of Aminabad. Almost 150 years after it was set up, the place is still highly popular for its freshly fried kachoris (fried bread stuffed with lentils) and jalebis (crispy, syrup-soaked sweets).
Ensuring Legacy Continues
The city also boasts special seasonal delights, such as makkhan malai, a cloud-like dessert available in the winter. The technique of making it is intricate and involved. The cook hand-churns the milk and then leaves it out at night, allowing the nighttime moisture to give it its incredible airy feel.
On chilly mornings, street vendors can be seen in historic neighborhoods like Aminabad and Chowk. Some however note that their children are unwilling to take up the art.
A renowned chef from Lucknow has noted that the city's immense food legacy places it at the very pinnacle of the Indian street food experience. The true benefit from the UNESCO recognition, however, will be realized only if Lucknow can now create awareness about its hidden eateries.
Every dish in Lucknow comes with a history – influenced by family-run food businesses, from modest street carts to lively restaurants, and guarded family recipes.
The international acclaim, it is anticipated, will motivate more people globally to discover these stories and experience the city to savour the food wonders of Lucknow.
