Coincidence or a message? Why no meat dishes in UP's 'One District, One Cuisine' list

The Uttar Pradesh government’s ambitious food branding initiative ‘One District, One Cuisine’ (ODOC) has run into controversy not so long after launch. The scheme modelled on ODOP (One District One Product) aims to identify signature dishes from all 75 districts and promote them with branding, tourism and marketing support. But what has become a talking point is not as much the dishes included but what all has been left out.

Despite Uttar Pradesh being home to some of India’s most famous non-vegetarian cuisines, the ODOC list approved by the state cabinet does not feature a single such dish. The omission has immediately stood out, especially in, say, Lucknow whose food identity is deeply tied to Awadhi cuisine. The capital district has instead been mapped with rewadi, chaat, malai makkhan and ‘mango produce’. Missing are the globally recognised galouti kebab, kakori kebab and Awadhi biryani.

Such absences are not limited to Lucknow. Rampur, known for its royal culinary tradition and seekh kebab, finds mention mainly for hapsi halwa. Moradabad has been represented through dal dishes while Bareilly and Azamgarh also do not feature the non-vegetarian dishes they are widely associated with.

The scheme was announced by chief minister Yogi Adityanath in 2025 and formally launched by Union home minister Amit Shah during celebrations marking Uttar Pradesh Day (January 24) in Lucknow this year. This week, the cabinet gave it formal approval.

According to officials, the larger aim of ODOC is economic. The government wants to build local food brands, support small businesses, generate employment and help district-level cuisines reach national and international markets.

The list includes 208 dishes from 18 divisions and 75 districts. The selections are strongly focused on sweets, snacks, dairy products, street food and regional vegetarian staples. The Agra division prominently features petha, dal moth and gajak. Mathura is identified with peda, makkhan mishri and lassi.

Eastern Uttar Pradesh is represented by litti-chokha, thekua and sattu-based foods. Varanasi’s offerings include Banarasi paan, thandai and tiranga barfi. Western Uttar Pradesh districts such as Meerut and Muzaffarnagar showcase jaggery products, gajak and rewadi.

Some entries also highlight highly localised food traditions. Jhansi has dal bafla, Prayagraj features bedami puri, Chandauli has black rice dishes and Pratapgarh amla products.

Officials say the intention was to include both renowned and lesser-known local foods. The state is also preparing incentives and support systems for the selected cuisines and their makers. But the absence of non-vegetarian dishes has overshadowed much of that conversation.

Food historians and culinary observers point out that Uttar Pradesh’s food culture cannot easily be separated into vegetarian and non-vegetarian compartments. Cities such as Lucknow and Rampur and parts of western and eastern Uttar Pradesh built their culinary identity over centuries through a mix of court cuisine, street food and local traditions, much of which included meat dishes.

For many, the omission appears less accidental and more reflective of the broader political and cultural messaging that has increasingly shaped public policy in the state. The government, however, has defended the move. Minister J.P.S. Rathore said the state was “merely promoting vegetarian dishes” and not stopping anyone from consuming non-vegetarian food.

Still, the debate continues because food in Uttar Pradesh is not just about taste or tourism. It is also closely tied to identity, memory and regional pride. That is why many food lovers see the absence of kebabs and biryanis as a significant statement in itself.

The irony is that several dishes missing from the ODOC list are arguably among Uttar Pradesh’s best-known culinary exports outside the state and even India. Lucknow’s kebabs, Rampur’s meat dishes and Moradabadi biryani have long served as cultural ambassadors for the state.

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