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Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched Uttar Pradesh’s new ‘One District, One Cuisine’ (ODOC) scheme on January 24. The launch was held at Rashtriya Prerna Sthal during Uttar Pradesh Day. The program highlights one special dish from each of the state’s 75 districts, aiming to promote local foods like Agra’s petha and Lucknow’s malai makhan internationally. Many of these dishes will get GI (geographical indication) tags to protect their uniqueness.

The ODOC scheme is modeled on the earlier ‘One District, One Product’ (ODOP) program, which successfully promoted UP’s regional products nationally and globally. ODOC focuses on traditional cuisines, helping local chefs, small food businesses, and artisans gain recognition. Officials say the scheme will create jobs, support small businesses, and expand markets both in India and abroad.

Goals, standards, and signature dishes

The scheme aims to preserve UP’s rich food heritage while modernizing it. Key priorities include:

• Selecting one historic or iconic dish per district

• Registering local chefs and artisans

• Ensuring strict quality, hygiene, and food safety standards

• Promoting the dishes through branding, packaging, GI tags, and e-commerce

• Preparing foods for both domestic and international markets

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath emphasized promoting nutritious, hygienic foods, including millet-based items. The plan also includes geo-tagging dishes and making them export-ready.

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Some of the signature dishes from various districts include:

• 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 specialties, which are well-known in their regions but less famous abroad, will now reach international audiences. The launch event was attended by CM Yogi Adityanath, Deputy CMs Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, Tourism Minister Jaiveer Singh, and other senior officials.

The ODOC initiative aims to make UP’s local cuisine famous worldwide, support small food businesses, create jobs, and boost the state’s economy. By combining tradition with modern marketing and quality standards, the government hopes to give these dishes a global platform.