The famed Awadhi cuisine from Lucknow with its biryani and kebabs, has always found favour with gourmands and has easily overshadowed the lesser known culinary delights of the erstwhile princely state of Rampur, also in Uttar Pradesh. It is only at periodic food festivals of Rampuri cuisine at hotels across India, that one hears of it and gets to sample this almost forgotten cuisine.
The cuisine of Rampur is historically the food of the Mughals, just like the cuisine of Awadh. However, the characteristic difference between the two is that unlike Awadhi cuisine, Rampuri cuisine is not perfumed with ingredients like kevda, ittar or rose water. While there is use of heady spices like saffron and nutmeg, they are used in subtle quantities.
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