Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday decided to launch the One District–One Cuisine (ODOC) scheme with the objective of giving global recognition to the State’s rich and diverse food and beverage traditions.
After the significant role played by the One District–One Product (ODOP) scheme in strengthening Brand UP, the Chief Minister said that Uttar Pradesh’s traditional cuisine will now be established on national and international platforms through organised branding. He stated that every district of the State has its own distinct taste, culture and identity, which forms the core objective of the ODOC scheme.
Giving examples, the Chief Minister said that Mainpuri’s sonpapdi, Mathura’s peda, Aligarh’s chamcham, Hathras’s rabri, Kasganj’s kalakand and moong dalma, Etah’s chikori, Sultanpur’s kadha ki poori and kohde ki sabzi, Barabanki’s chandrakala, Azamgarh’s white carrot halwa, Varanasi’s longlata, Bareilly’s sewaiyan, Amethi’s samosa, Basti’s sirka, and Siddharthnagar’s ramkatori are not just food items but symbols of local heritage, skill and economy. By providing quality assurance, identity and market access, the State’s cultural strength can be transformed into economic power.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed that the ODOC scheme be implemented at the grassroots level on the lines of ODOP, ensuring that traditional artisans, halwais and small entrepreneurs gain sustainable livelihood opportunities. He emphasised that quality, cleanliness and food safety must be accorded the highest priority, and that all products should be certified in accordance with food safety standards.
The Chief Minister said that under ODOC, distinctive cuisines from each district would be identified and developed as cuisine clusters. Manufacturers and sellers would be encouraged in the areas of branding, technology adoption, packaging and marketing of traditional dishes.
He was informed that the scheme would focus on product conservation, promotion of the local economy, expansion of food diversity, employment generation, strengthening of value chains and market linkages, and integration with the tourism and hospitality sectors.
In addition, efforts will be made to enhance export capacity and adapt products for international consumers.
During the meeting, it was stated that under the branding strategy, district-specific colours, symbols and styles would be incorporated into the ODOC logo. Each dish would carry a product story and identity tag highlighting its culture, history and method of preparation.
It was also informed that special emphasis would be placed on packaging. Advanced techniques to increase shelf life would be adopted, along with food-grade, eco-friendly and safe packaging. Traceability and consumer information would be ensured through QR codes, nutrition labels, barcodes and dual-language labelling. Regional and festival-themed packaging designs would also be developed.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that the ODOC scheme would provide new momentum to the Vocal for Local initiative and firmly establish Uttar Pradesh’s culinary heritage on the global food map.
He directed that the initiative should not remain merely a scheme, but evolve into a strong medium for cultural identity, economic empowerment and employment generation, and that all necessary efforts be made to achieve these objectives.