Lucknow Declared UNESCO ‘Creative City of Gastronomy’ | 03 Nov 2025

Source: IE

Lucknow has officially been declared a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy during the 43rd Session of the UNESCO General Conference held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

• Reasons for Inclusion: The recognition honors Lucknow’s rich Awadhi cuisine, known for kebabs, biryanis, kormas, and sheermal, reflecting its culinary artistry, hospitality, and cultural heritage.
  • Lucknow is now the 2nd Indian city after Hyderabad (2019) to achieve this distinction.
• Criteria for Creative City of Gastronomy: A city must have 
  • A rich culinary heritage, traditional ingredients and skills, 
  • Promote sustainability and food education, 
  • Foster community participation and cultural exchange through food,etc.

UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN)

• About: Established by UNESCO in 2004, the Creative Cities Network (UCCN) promotes cooperation among cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development.
• UCCN Network: The UCCN comprises 408 cities from over 100 countries. 
  • For the first time, the UCCN welcomes Creative Cities of Architecture — a new creative field in addition to the seven existing ones: Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts, and Music.
• Indian Cities in UCCN: India now has 9 cities, including Lucknow, recognized under the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN).