🔗 Share this article

Delectable kebabs, scented biryani, and airy, cloud-like desserts.

The metropolis in India's north of Lucknow has forever been a dream destination for epicures, with inhabitants and visitors equally praising its superb cuisine.

A Global Honor

Recently, Unesco honored it as a Creative City of Gastronomy – adding it to a prestigious roster of global cities and kindling hopes that it will highlight Lucknow's exceptional food. With this status, it joins a worldwide network of more than four hundred urban centers across over 100 countries committed to promoting "innovation as a key factor of city development that is sustainable".

The honor "demonstrates its deep-rooted food heritage and lively culinary scene," according to a representative from Unesco's Regional Office for South Asia.

Lucknow is only the second Indian city – following Hyderabad, which was selected in 2019 – to earn a spot in this coveted list of seventy urban centers internationally.

An Urban Center with a Culinary Soul

The honor for this historic city is hardly a shock to its inhabitants or passionate food lovers. Many echo the view that it is "better late than never".

With the UNESCO designation, this adored, lively, and vibrant city – the administrative center of India's most populous state – is at last in the limelight for what has perennially shaped its essence: an immense love for food.

"'What will be cooked, how will it be cooked' is a constant dialogue from waking up until going to bed in most homes," notes a local cultural expert. "And you are often evaluated by the standard of food that emerges from your kitchen."

A Heritage of Nawabi Cuisine

The City of Nawabs – as it's popularly called after its historic affluent Muslim rulers – is renowned for its succulent kebabs and a unique take on biryani that were created, refined, and taken to sublime levels in their opulent kitchens.

These royal kitchens were hubs of gastronomic creativity, merging Iranian and indigenous Indian styles to create what became known as the food of Awadh.

It was during this time that Lucknow's renowned kebabs were developed. The story goes that the galouti kebab was created to cater to an elderly nawab who had no longer had his teeth. His culinary artists processed the meat with raw papaya, saffron, 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 gentle, slow heat, with the pot's lid securely closed with dough.

More Than Just Famous Dishes

In addition to the famous kebabs and biryani, the culinary masters also built up a repertoire 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 traditionally vegetarian community's cuisine doesn't just showcases seasonal produce but also provides the city its meticulously prepared Indian desserts, sweets, and unique street food, like chaat – spicy fried snacks.

Hidden Gems and Legacy Eateries

Almost on countless corners, there are tiny kiosks and kiosks – little-known treasures that are wildly favored by the locals.

In the heart of the city of Hazratganj, throngs of people start assembling from the crack of dawn at a legendary tea stall to get a piping hot cup of milky masala chai, presented in kulhads, along with incredibly soft buns slathered with freshly churned white butter.

For breakfast, one can head to a no-frills joint situated in the old city area of Aminabad. Almost 150 years after it was founded, 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 boasts remarkable treats of the season, such as makkhan malai, a cloud-like dessert savored in the winter. The technique of making it is scientific and demanding. The cook beats the milk and then sets it out at night, allowing the nighttime moisture to give it its unique airy feel.

On crisp mornings, street vendors line up in old city areas like Aminabad and Chowk. A number of but note that their younger generation do not want to take up the art.

A well-known culinary expert from Lucknow has frequently stated that the city's rich food legacy positions it at the very pinnacle of the Indian street food experience. The real value from the UNESCO recognition, it is believed, will be realized only if Lucknow can now create awareness about its under-the-radar eateries.

Every dish in Lucknow has a narrative – shaped by generational food businesses, from humble street carts to lively restaurants, and secret family recipes.

The international acclaim, it is believed, will encourage more people worldwide to learn these tales and travel to the city to taste the gastronomic treasures of Lucknow.