Lucknow, Jan 24 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday launched the ‘One District, One Cuisine’ (ODOC) initiative in Uttar Pradesh, aimed at giving a distinct identity to the traditional food and beverage specialities of each district.
It is in line with the state’s flagship ‘One District, One Product’ (ODOP) programme.
The ODOC scheme, unveiled during an event held at Rashtriya Prerna Sthal here on the occasion of Uttar Pradesh Day, aims to put the state’s delicacies like Agra’s petha, Mathura’s peda, Lucknow’s Malai Makhan, Kanpur’s Samosa on the global map with GI-tag recognition, officials said.
According to the officials, the ODOP initiative has helped several region-specific products from Uttar Pradesh gain recognition at the national and international levels. Building on that success, the ODOC scheme seeks to similarly promote district-specific cuisines and traditional recipes.
They said the initiative is expected to benefit traditional halwais, small food entrepreneurs and local workers by helping their signature dishes reach wider and even global markets, while also creating sustainable livelihood opportunities at the grassroots level.
The officials added that the ODOC programme will also focus on improving the quality, hygiene and food safety of local cuisines by aligning them with prescribed food safety standards.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, and Tourism Minister Jaiveer Singh were present at the launch event, along with senior state officials.
According to a government statement, one specific, historical and traditional cuisine will be identified from each district of Uttar Pradesh under the ODOC scheme.
The major objectives are preservation and promotion of the state’s traditional culinary heritage, registration of local artisans, chefs preparing the cuisines, quality standardisation, branding and marketing of selected cuisines, it said.
It also aims at giving recognition to cuisines at the national and international level, promotion of local livelihood, self-employment and the MSME sector, the statement said, adding that ODOC will also become an effective medium of employment generation at the grassroots level, from which the state’s economy will benefit directly.
Through packaging, GI tag and e-commerce, local cuisines will get a global platform, it stated.
Almost every district of Uttar Pradesh is famous for some specific cuisine. Like Agra’s Panchi Petha, Mathura’s Brajwasi Peda, Ayodhya’s Ramasare Peda, Aligarh (Iglaas)’s Chamcham, Barabanki’s Chandrakala, Purvanchal’s Bati-Chokha and Litti-Chokha, Lucknow’s Revdi and Malai Makhan, Varanasi’s Launglata and Malaiyo, Sandila (Hardoi)’s Laddu and Kanpur’s Samosa.
“There are hundreds of cuisines which are popular in their city, but have limited recognition outside the state or country. Through the ODOC scheme, these historical and delicious cuisines of all 75 districts of UP will be presented to the world,” the statement said.
CM Adityanath said, “The ‘One District, One Cuisine’ initiative would promote hygienic and nutritious food, including millet-based products and enable geo-tagging, branding, packaging and designing of local cuisines in line with domestic and global demand, opening up export opportunities for traditional dishes from across the state.” PTI KIS CDN NSD NSD
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