Lucknow,

06 May (HS): The Uttar Pradesh government has released a district-by-district

list of traditional culinary products as part of its 'One District One Cuisine'

(ODOC) campaign, which aims to promote local specialties through enhanced

branding, packaging, and market access, according to authorities. The ODOC list

shows that each district has its own specialty cuisine. Petha and dalmoth have

been recognized in Agra, whilst tikki and kachori are popular potato-based

cuisines in Firozabad. Sohan papdi and boiling potato dishes are popular in

Mainpuri, whereas Mathura is known for peda, khurchan, and mishri-based sweets.

Aligarh is known for its dairy goods and kachori, Hathras for its asafoetida

(hing)-related items and khurchan, and Kasganj for its moong dal halwa and

singhada flour snacks.

Ayodhya's

kachori, peda, and kulhad dahi-jalebi, Sultanpur's peda and savoury dishes,

Barabanki's chandrakala, and Amethi's samosa and jaggery-based sweets have all

been named. Ambedkar Nagar is famed for its batasha and khoya-based dishes. Azamgarh

is well-known for teheri and carrot halwa, Ballia for sattu-based cuisine, and

Mau for litti-chokha. Varanasi's numerous offerings include tiranga barfi,

thandai, lassi, kachori, and Banarasi paan, whilst Jaunpur is famed for imarti

and its own sweets. Meerut's revdi and gajak, Ghaziabad's papad-based dishes,

Gautam Buddh Nagar's bakery items, Hapur's papad, and Bulandshahr's kachori and

peda have all made an appearance in western Uttar Pradesh. Baghpat is linked to

balushahi and ghewar.

Other

prominent entries are 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 famous for honey-based items, Muzaffarnagar for

jaggery sweets, and Shamli for jaggery-based snacks. According to officials,

the effort aims to comprehensively document and promote indigenous cuisines

throughout all districts of the state.

Awanish

Awasthi, Advisor to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, highlighted the project in

a post on X, noting that Uttar Pradesh plans to provide global exposure to its

traditional foods through modern branding and superior packaging. This measure

will empower local craftspeople while also promoting employment and

entrepreneurship. According to the X post, Uttar Pradesh is establishing a new

identity in taste, culture, and economics under the leadership of the chief

minister.

Chief

Minister Adityanath underlined the ODOC project during Budget 2026-27 debates

in the state legislature on February 20. He stated that the program will focus

on quality improvement, packaging, branding, marketing, and training for

traditional food items, drawing parallels to the successful ODOP model. CM

mentioned examples such as revdi and gajak of Meerut, hing of Hathras, papad of

Hapur, guava of Prayagraj, halwa of Ballia, and imarti of Jaunpur, emphasizing

that they have been given new identities under the initiative. He

stated that the project will be tied to women's empowerment, with Self Help

Groups and female entrepreneurs receiving training, financial support, and

market access. Officials stated that the scheme's overarching goal is to

promote skill development, attract investment, boost local food branding, and

generate jobs, therefore promoting UP as a culinary entrepreneurial hotspot.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi