Not a Single Meat Dish Find Place in UP Govt's 'One District, One Cuisine' Scheme

New Delhi: Not a single meat dish has found place in the Uttar Pradesh government’s list of 208 dishes under its new, ‘One District, One Cuisine’ (ODOC) scheme, reported Indian Express. The scheme, which is aimed at promoting local delicacies, has even omitted well-known meat preparations from places such as Lucknow, Moradabad and Azamgarh.

For instance, Lucknow has been assigned rewari, chaat, malai makkhan and “mango produce” while the Moradabad division features dal dishes and handi halwa, despite the fact that the region’s famous cuisines include Galauti Kabab, Moradabadi Biryani. Delicacies such as  slow-cooked Handi Mutton of Azamgarh are also absent, reported Indian Express.

The ODOC scheme was announced by Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath in December last year and it was launched by Union home minister Amit Shah in Lucknow on January 24 this year during Uttar Pradesh Day celebrations.

The scheme was approved by the state cabinet on Monday (May 4).

However, food critics have questioned why iconic non-vegetarian dishes have been excluded from the list.

“It does not make sense. I had a look at the list, the one that stands out the most is spice in the list of cuisines from Rae Bareli. How is spice a cuisine? There is hapsi halwa from Rampur, which is again not a cuisine… Reori is there from Lucknow, which is a sweet,” Pushpesh Pant, food critic and historian, told Indian Express.

“There are Kakori Kababs or Char Magaj ka murga, which is a typical Awadh dish made in Kayastha houses of Lucknow. Even the Government of India admits that 68% of the population is non-vegetarian and moreover, these are across class and creed, not just Muslims but Dalits, Kayasthas and even Kashmiri Brahmins, Maithli Brahmins or Saraswat Brahmins of Goa. Moreover, you cannot [define] food… with man-made boundaries. For instance, Lahore and Amritsar are twin cities when it comes to food,” Pant added.

According to the list, each of Uttar Pradesh’s 18 divisions has been mapped with signature foods ranging from sweets and snacks to staple dishes, reported Indian Express.

When contacted about the selection criteria, Uttar Pradesh Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) minister Rakesh Sachan told Indian Express that “it is a flexible list which can be upgraded based on public opinion and suggestions”.

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