Lucknow

The Nawabs of Awadh brought their kitchens with them when they made the city their capital, and dum-style cooking, slow, sealed and fragrant with spice, remains central to how the city eats. Kebabs are the main event. Galauti kebabs, pounded fine enough to melt on the tongue, were reportedly created for a nawab who had lost his teeth, and the city's old lanes are still lined with kebab houses guarding recipes generations old. Beyond kebabs, Lucknow's biryani has its own gentler, less spiced style, and the sweet shops of Chowk and Aminabad are worth a wander for kulfi and local mithai. Food here isn't a sideshow to the sightseeing. It's arguably the city's main attraction.