Lucknow, the land of nawabs, sent a nomination to be listed as the ‘Creative City of Gastronomy’ to UNESCO earlier this year. On Friday, at the 43rd session of its General Conference in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, officials honoured the Uttar Pradesh city with the title. Lucknow is also now the second Indian city to hold the title, after Hyderabad.
Lucknow was named the ‘Creative City of Gastronomy‘ among the 70 other cities from across the world. It claimed the title for its iconic, historic, and mouth-watering Awadhi cuisine, and on World Cities Day, Lucknow earned the spot. Here’s what a UNESCO City of Gastronomy means, and why Lucknow got the title.
What is a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy?
A ‘Creative City of Gastronomy’ deeply demonstrates “gastronomic culture, tied to its history and identity, a vibrant community of chefs and restaurants, a tradition of using indigenous ingredients, and the culinary know-how that has survived the test of industrialisation.” It also contains traditional food markets, local food industries, and festivals that honour this history.
Currently, 408 cities across the world belong to this network, and 69 out of these hold UNESCO‘s ‘Creative City of Gastronomy’ title, with 21 from Asia. Cities must show a deep respect for the environment, encourage the use of local produce, and integrate lessons on nutrition and biodiversity into schools and culinary institutes. The designation isn’t a permanent accolade either; every four years, each city is reassessed to confirm that it continues to meet these standards.
Why Lucknow?
The city of Lucknow has always had a deep Awadhi influence, and its culture has been a confluence of Persian, Indic, and Muslim cultures. And its food has been the true representation of this blend. Apart from royal courtroom cuisine, the city’s taste buds evolved in the 18th and 19th centuries. From cooks in the Nawab’s kitchens masterminding the slow-cooked dum pukht technique, to a repertoire that included kebabs, kormas, biryanis, sheermal, and shahi tukda.
Famously known for its Hazratganj bazaar and chowk, Lucknow displays a timeless showcase of street food culture that blends effortlessly with royal cuisine. Generations of royal cooks have passed down this craft to their family, and culinary tourism remains Lucknow’s biggest crowd gatherer. In 2024, the city recorded more than 82 lakh tourists, as per a statement from Amrit Abhijat, Principal Secretary, Tourism & Culture.
