UP's new cuisine map leaves non-veg off the menu

Uttar Pradesh's 'One District One Cuisine' initiative faces backlash for excluding iconic non-vegetarian dishes, raising questions about its representation of the state's diverse culinary heritage.

Photograph: @AwasthiAwanishK/X

The Uttar Pradesh government has notified a district-wise list of traditional food items under its 'One District One Cuisine' (ODOC) initiative, aiming to promote local delicacies with improved branding, packaging and market access, officials said.

Exclusion of Iconic Non-Vegetarian Dishes

However, several iconic non-vegetarian dishes closely associated with Uttar Pradesh's districts, and celebrated nationally and globally, do not find mention in the ODOC list.

The missing items include Lucknow's famed Tunday and Galouti kebabs, Awadhi biryani and nihari; mutton korma and seekh kebabs from Rampur's rich Rampuri cuisine and Bareilly's popular mutton preparations. Varanasi and Allahabad (Prayagraj) are also known for distinctive non-vegetarian street foods and curries that draw food enthusiasts from across the country.

Criticism from Food Historians

President Cuisine Society of India and well known food historian Pushpesh Pant described the all-vegetarian ODOC platter as "half baked" measure.

Talking to PTI on phone, Pant said, "This seems to be a half baked move that smacks of bigotry. In short, ignorant nonsense."

Pant made it clear that he was all for vegetarian dishes. "I love all dishes. All I am saying is why engage in selective discrimination?"

District-Wise Signature Dishes

According to the ODOC list, each district has been mapped with its signature dishes.

In Agra, petha and dalmoth have been identified, while Firozabad is known for potato-based dishes such as tikki and kachori. Mainpuri features sohan papdi and boiled potato preparations, and Mathura is recognised for peda, khurchan and mishri-based sweets.

Aligarh has been tagged with dairy products and kachori, Hathras with asafoetida (hing)-linked items and khurchan, while Kasganj is associated with moong dal halwa and snacks made from singhada flour.

Eastern and Western UP Delicacies

In central Uttar Pradesh, Ayodhya's kachori, peda and kulhad dahi-jalebi, Sultanpur's peda and savoury items, Barabanki's chandrakala, and Amethi's samosa and jaggery-based sweets have been listed. Ambedkar Nagar is known for batasha and khoya-based items.

Eastern districts also feature prominently, with Azamgarh known for teheri and carrot halwa, Ballia for sattu-based dishes, and Mau for litti-chokha. Varanasi's diverse offerings include tiranga barfi, thandai, lassi, kachori and Banarasi paan, while Jaunpur is known for imarti and its unique sweets.

In western Uttar Pradesh, Meerut's revdi and gajak, Ghaziabad's papad-based preparations, Gautam Buddh Nagar's bakery products, Hapur's papad, and Bulandshahr's kachori and peda have been included. Baghpat is associated with balushahi and ghewar.

Initiative's Broader Objectives

Other notable entries include Prayagraj's kachori, samosa and rasmalai, Fatehpur's bedmi puri and sweets, Kaushambi's jaggery-based products, and Pratapgarh's amla-based items. Saharanpur is known for honey-based products, Muzaffarnagar for jaggery sweets, and Shamli for jaggery-based snacks.

Officials said the initiative seeks to systematically catalogue and promote local cuisines across all districts of the state.

Advisor to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Awanish Awasthi, highlighted the initiative in a post on X on Tuesday, stating that Uttar Pradesh is set to give global recognition to its traditional dishes through modern branding and improved packaging.

"This step will empower local artisans while giving a boost to employment and entrepreneurship. Under the leadership of the chief minister, Uttar Pradesh is creating a new identity in taste, culture and economy," he said in the post.

The ODOC initiative was also emphasised by Chief Minister Adityanath during the Budget 2026-27 discussions in the state assembly on February 20.

He said that the scheme envisages focused efforts on quality improvement, packaging, branding, marketing and training for traditional food items, drawing parallels with the successful 'One District One Product' model.

The chief minister had cited examples such as revdi and gajak of Meerut, hing of Hathras, papad of Hapur, guava of Prayagraj, halwa of Ballia and imarti of Jaunpur, noting that these would be given a new identity under the scheme.

He added that the initiative would also be linked to women's empowerment, with Self Help Groups and women entrepreneurs to be provided training, financial support and market access.

Officials said the broader objective of the scheme is to promote skill development, encourage investment, strengthen branding of local cuisines and generate employment, positioning Uttar Pradesh as a hub of culinary entrepreneurship.