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 – At Tunday Kababi, nestled within Phool Wali Gali—a slender thoroughfare in Lucknow’s historic district—diners gather around tables where buffalo galawati kebabs are served. Guests rip apart pieces of paratha, a traditional flatbread, using them to gather the succulent, buttery meat. Across the room, kitchen staff work tirelessly, molding and shallow-frying new batches of these signature kebabs. This daily ritual has continued for countless generations in a metropolis that numerous Indians regard as among the nation’s premier food destinations. Despite this local acclaim, Lucknow has frequently been overlooked in international food discussions, often eclipsed by more prominent cities like Delhi and Mumbai, even though it serves as the ancestral home of Awadhi cuisine.

A Historic Culinary Capital

News of Lucknow’s gastronomic heritage is now reaching international audiences, sparking optimism that this distinctive food culture will receive broader recognition. During October 2025, UNESCO officially designated Lucknow—the capital of Uttar Pradesh province in northern India—as a Creative City of Gastronomy. This honor acknowledges the city’s enduring food traditions and their ongoing practice throughout the urban landscape. Only Hyderabad, which received the same title in 2019, has previously earned this distinction among Indian cities. The designation places Lucknow alongside more than four hundred cities spanning over one hundred nations worldwide.

Awadhi cuisine derives its name from a historical territory within modern-day Uttar Pradesh, formerly called Oudh during British colonial rule. Initially belonging to the Mughal Empire, the region gradually gained independence as imperial power declined during the early 1700s. Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula relocated the administrative center from Faizabad to Lucknow in 1775, cementing the city’s status as a political hub until British forces took control in 1856. Within the royal kitchens of the Nawabs, Awadhi cuisine evolved between the eighteenth century and the mid-nineteenth century.

Technique and Delicacy

These royal kitchens incorporated culinary practices already established in the Mughal court—practices themselves shaped by Persian influences—and enhanced them with locally sourced ingredients from the productive Indo-Gangetic plains. The resulting cuisine merged aristocratic refinement with regional distinctiveness. Many people mistakenly believe Awadhi food is heavy, but Chef Ranveer Brar, a restaurant owner and judge on MasterChef India, clarifies this misconception. Speaking to CNN Travel, he explains that the cuisine is actually delicate, nuanced, and founded on restraint. The richness associated with Awadhi dishes stems not from abundance but from technique, equilibrium, and patience.

Executive Chef Rohit Joshi, who works at the Taj Mahal Lucknow, supports this perspective. He notes that the cuisine prioritizes aroma, measured spice application, and texture—elements that culinary scholars refer to as nazakat (delicacy) and nafasat (subtlety). Rather than overwhelming the palate, the goal is harmony. Although frequently categorized under the umbrella term “Mughlai,” Awadhi cuisine maintains its own identity. Mughlai food emerged from imperial kitchens in Delhi and Agra, characterized by rich sauces and robust spices, while Awadhi cuisine developed later within Lucknow’s royal courts.

Perhaps the most celebrated technique in Awadhi cooking is dum pukht, a method involving slow cooking within a sealed container. Cooks place ingredients inside a heavy-bottomed vessel called a handi, then seal the lid—historically using dough—and cook over gentle heat. This process traps steam inside, enabling flavors to develop slowly while preserving moisture. Culinary tradition attributes this technique to the reign of Asaf-ud-Daula in the late eighteenth century, when the region experienced a devastating famine. As part of a work-for-food initiative, substantial amounts of rice, meat, and vegetables were prepared in sealed pots to nourish workers constructing the Bara Imambara tomb complex. Legend holds that the fragrant aromas emanating from these pots attracted the Nawab’s attention, prompting the refinement of dum cooking in royal kitchens.

Regardless of whether this tale is entirely accurate, it illustrates how dum preparation became integral to the region’s food identity. During the twentieth century, the late chef Imtiaz Qureshi revived this technique in restaurant settings, introducing dum pukht to contemporary dining through ITC Hotels, an Indian hospitality enterprise, including their Dum Pukht Restaurant in New Delhi. Beyond technique, Awadhi cuisine emphasizes control—especially in how flavors are constructed. Spices are incorporated progressively throughout cooking rather than combined simultaneously, allowing each layer to contribute its distinct character to the final dish.