India, Oct. 25 -- On World Cities Day, October 31, Lucknow became India's second city after Hyderabad to be recognised by UNESCO as a Creative City of Gastronomy.

As the state capital approaches the first anniversary of the recognition, celebrity chef Ranveer Brar, who recently visited his hometown, says the biggest change has been a renewed sense of confidence in the city's culinary identity. "What has changed most in Lucknow after the gastronomy recognition is confidence," he says.

He adds, "For years, Lucknow's food businesses were almost proudly inward-looking. They had loyal customers, old recipes, familiar neighbourhoods, and very little desire to become anything beyond what they already were. There was charm in that, but there wa...