Food & Flavours

India's culinary culture is as diverse as its cultural heritage. Exploring the finer nuances of India's food heritage would take a lifetime for any traveller.

However, a visit to the cuisine capitals of the country would give them an insight to the best of India's rich and evolving food culture. While cities like New Delhi, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Kochi and Kolkata are popularly regarded as the country's cuisine capitals, every destination has its own food specialities that are distinctively their own. Many modern day chefs have added their own innovative touch to the traditional fare for the new age consumers.

In the north, the Kashmiri cuisine has evolved over hundreds of years, and strongly represents several influences such as Central Asian, Persia, and the north Indian plains. The most notable ingredient in Kashmir cuisine is mutton (lamb). Wazwan, a multicourse meal in Kashmiri cuisine and a matter of pride in Kashmiri culture and identity, includes dishes that are meat-based (lamb, chicken, fish). Amritsar is a great city to experience the best of Punjabi cuisine. Some favourites include stuffed paranthas and dairy products (in particular paneer), maa ki dal (lentil) and sarson da saag (mustard leaves). Uttar Pradesh has also been greatly influenced by Mughal (Mughlai cuisine) cooking techniques which are very popular worldwide. Lucknow is home to some of the best traditional chefs. Lucknawi biryani, Tundey kabab, kulcha nihari are the most famous dishes from the capital of UP that have attracted visitors to the city to experience the food in its traditional eateries. In recent years Awadhi cuisine has been the fastest growing popular cuisine in the country.