Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched Uttar Pradesh's ambitious 'One District, One Cuisine' (ODOC) scheme on Saturday (January 24), tying it to the state's celebrated 'One District, One Product' (ODOP) program. Unveiled at Rashtriya Prerna Sthal during Uttar Pradesh Day, the initiative spotlights a signature dish from each of the state's 75 districts, pushing local specialties like Agra's 'petha' and Lucknow's 'malai makhan' toward international recognition with GI (geographical indication) tags.
Building on ODOP's success
ODOP has already elevated UP's regional products to national and global stages. ODOC mirrors this by targeting traditional cuisines and recipes, empowering halwais, small food businesses, and local workers. Officials expect it to spark sustainable jobs at the grassroots, boost the MSME sector, and drive economic growth through wider market access.
Key goals and standards
The scheme focuses on preserving UP's culinary heritage while modernizing it. Priorities include identifying one historic dish per district, registering artisans and chefs, enforcing quality, hygiene, and food safety standards, plus branding, packaging, GI tagging, and e-commerce for global reach. CM Yogi Adityanath emphasised promoting hygienic, nutritious foods like millet-based items, with geo-tagging and export-ready designs to meet domestic and international demand.
Spotlight on signature dishes
UP's districts brim with unique flavours-
- Agra: Panchhi Petha
- Mathura: Brajwasi Peda
- Ayodhya: Ramasare Peda
- Aligarh: Chamcham
- Barabanki: Chandrakala
- Purvanchal: Bati-Chokha and Litti-Chokha
- Lucknow: Revdi and Malai Makhan
- Varanasi: Launglata and Malaiyo
- Sandila (Hardoi): Laddu
- Kanpur: Samosa
Hundreds of such local gems, popular at home but obscure abroad, will now gain worldwide exposure, as per the government statement. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Deputy CMs Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, Tourism Minister Jaiveer Singh, and senior officials attended the event.
