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Mouth-watering kebabs, fragrant biryani, and airy, cloud-like desserts.

The metropolis in India's north of Lucknow has long been a food lovers' paradise, with locals and travelers equally celebrating its superb cuisine.

A Global Honor

Recently, Unesco recognised it as a UNESCO Creative City for Gastronomy – including it in a prestigious group of international urban centers and kindling hopes that it will spotlight Lucknow's peerless food. With this title, it enters a international community of over 400 metropolises across more than 100 countries dedicated to promoting "innovation as a key factor of city development that is sustainable".

The honor "stands as proof of its centuries-old food heritage and vibrant gastronomic culture," according to a official from Unesco's regional bureau for South Asia.

Lucknow is merely the second Indian city – following Hyderabad, which was selected in 2019 – to find a place in this prestigious list of 70 global destinations worldwide.

A City Defined by Food

The accolade for this historic city comes as hardly a shock to its residents or dedicated food lovers. Many echo the sentiment that it is "an honor long overdue".

With the UNESCO recognition, this cherished, bustling, and eclectic city – the administrative center of India's largest state – is at last in the limelight for what has perennially defined its essence: an unparalleled passion for food.

"'What's for dinner, how should it be prepared' is a ongoing dialogue from morning until night in many homes," explains a local cultural expert. "And you are truly evaluated by the standard of food that comes out of your kitchen."

A Heritage of Nawabi Cuisine

The City of Nawabs – as it's popularly called after its 18th and 19th-century affluent Muslim rulers – is famed for its melt-in-the-mouth kebabs and a distinctive take on biryani that were conceived, refined, and taken to exquisite levels in their opulent kitchens.

These kitchens of the nobility were epicenters of gastronomic creativity, blending Persian and indigenous Indian styles to create what became known as the food of Awadh.

It was in this era that Lucknow's renowned kebabs were fashioned. The story goes that the mutton galouti was created to cater to an elderly nawab who had lost his teeth. His culinary artists minced the meat with papaya, kesar, and a blend of spices and made it so silky that it required no chewing.

But perhaps the greatest contribution of the cooks 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 obvious 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 haven for vegetarians.

The local Baniya community's cuisine doesn't just showcases seasonal produce but also provides the city its highly curated Indian desserts, sweets, and unique street food, like chaat – spicy fried snacks.

Iconic Stalls and Historic Shops

Almost on countless corners, there are little shops and carts – little-known treasures that are extremely popular with the locals.

In the heart of the city of Hazratganj, huge crowds start assembling from the crack of dawn at a famous 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 make their way to a unpretentious joint operating in the old city area of Aminabad. Almost 150 years after it was set up, the place is still in great demand for its hot kachoris (fried bread stuffed with lentils) and jalebis (crispy, syrup-soaked sweets).

Safeguarding a Culinary Heritage

The city also offers remarkable seasonal delights, such as makkhan malai, a cloud-like dessert savored in the winter. The process of making it is scientific and involved. The cook beats the milk and then leaves it out at night, allowing the nighttime moisture to give it its amazing airy feel.

On crisp mornings, street vendors can be seen in historic neighborhoods like Aminabad and Chowk. Some though note that their younger generation are reluctant to learn the skill.

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

Every dish in Lucknow comes with a history – crafted by multi-generational food businesses, from humble street carts to bustling restaurants, and guarded family recipes.

The international acclaim, it is anticipated, will motivate more people worldwide to learn these stories and travel to the city to delight in the food wonders of Lucknow.