One of India’s greatest food cities is finally getting the global attention it deserves

Lucknow Earns UNESCO Recognition for Culinary Excellence

One of India s greatest food – In October 2025, the ancient city of Lucknow secured its place among the world’s most celebrated food destinations when UNESCO designated it a Creative City of Gastronomy. This prestigious honor makes Lucknow only the second Indian metropolis to receive such recognition, following Hyderabad’s achievement in 2019. The designation places Lucknow alongside more than four hundred cities spanning over one hundred nations globally, acknowledging both its historical culinary heritage and the living traditions that continue to thrive throughout the city today.

For generations, visitors to Tunday Kababi have witnessed a timeless ritual. Within Phool Wali Gali, a narrow thoroughfare nestled in Lucknow’s historic district, buffalo galawati kebabs arrive steaming hot at dining tables. Patrons carefully tear portions of paratha, that traditional flatbread, to gather the succulent, tender meat that practically dissolves upon tasting. Across the restaurant, kitchen staff work tirelessly, molding and shallow-frying new batches of these beloved kebabs. While countless Indians regard their city as among the nation’s premier culinary centers, Lucknow has historically flown under the radar internationally, often eclipsed by more prominent destinations like Delhi and Mumbai despite serving as the ancestral home of Awadhi cuisine.

Historical Foundations of Awadhi Cuisine

The term Awadhi derives from a historic territory located within contemporary Uttar Pradesh, formerly known as Oudh throughout British colonial rule. Initially incorporated into the Mughal Empire, the region gradually gained independence as imperial authority weakened during the early eighteenth century. Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula relocated the administrative center from Faizabad to Lucknow in 1775, cementing the city’s status as a regional power hub until British forces annexed the territory in 1856.

Between the eighteenth century and the mid-nineteenth century, Awadhi cuisine crystallized within the royal kitchens of the Nawabs. These culinary establishments incorporated existing Mughal court traditions—themselves shaped by Persian influences—and enhanced them through the utilization of local produce harvested from the nutrient-rich Indo-Gangetic plains. The resulting culinary style achieved an elegant equilibrium between aristocratic refinement and distinctive regional character.

Defining Characteristics and Techniques

“The most common misconception is that Awadhi cuisine carries a heavy quality,” explains Chef Ranveer Brar, who serves as both restaurateur and judge on MasterChef India. “That perception is incorrect. The cuisine demonstrates delicacy, nuance, and restraint. What people describe as richness stems not from abundance but from technique, equilibrium, and patience.”

Executive Chef Rohit Joshi at the Taj Mahal Lucknow reinforces this perspective. “Our focus centers on aroma, measured spice application, and textural harmony—elements that culinary scholars characterize as nazakat, meaning delicacy, and nafasat, representing subtlety,” Joshi notes. “The objective remains harmonization rather than sensory overload.”

Though frequently categorized within the broader Mughlai umbrella, Awadhi cuisine maintains distinct identity. Mughlai traditions emerged from imperial kitchens in Delhi and Agra, celebrated for robust gravies and assertive spice profiles. Awadhi cuisine developed subsequently within Lucknow’s royal courts, emphasizing different principles.

Perhaps the most celebrated technique is dum pukht, a method involving extended slow cooking within sealed vessels. Cooks place ingredients inside heavy-bottomed handi pots, seal the lids—historically using dough—and apply gentle heat. This process traps steam internally, enabling gradual flavor development while preserving moisture throughout the cooking period.

According to culinary tradition, dum pukht gained prominence during Asaf-ud-Daula’s reign in the late 1700s, when the region experienced devastating famine. Through a work-for-food initiative, substantial quantities of rice, meat, and vegetables were prepared in sealed containers to nourish workers constructing the Bara Imambara tomb complex. Legend suggests the enticing aromas emanating from these vessels attracted the Nawab’s attention, prompting refinement of the dum technique within royal establishments.

Regardless of historical accuracy, this narrative illustrates how dum cooking became integral to regional culinary identity. During the twentieth century, the late chef Imtiaz Qureshi resurrected the method for contemporary dining through ITC Hotels, establishing the Dum Pukht Restaurant in New Delhi and introducing these ancient techniques to modern palates.