15 Places That Every Food Lover Must Visit In India

How do you justify your reason of travelling to distant corners of the country? Is it simply to quench your wanderlust or the gluttony of salivating tongue? Well! If you ask a food lover like me, the latter one sounds more of a reason or to say more attention grabbing. And why not! After all this is what we earn for. But many of us end up browsing the internet and daydreaming about all bright, well-garnished and mouth-watering delicacies without even knowing where to head for grabbing the most scrumptious food. For the foodistas like me who don’t mind to go Slurp and Burp while gulping the best food anywhere in the world. I pen down this blog with utmost care to tell about the best getaways in India for food lovers.

* Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

Known across the country for its incredible varieties of Mughlai Cuisine, Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh catches attention magnetically. A paradise for non-veggies, the city offers scrumptious Galauti-Kabab and Nahari Kulcha. To add more variety into your menu of extended holidays, try Kabab-Paratha, Biryani, or Tandoori Chicken. If you have a sweet-tooth like me, you should not miss to taste Kulfi, Ghazak, Rewri and special Meetha Pan.

* Kolkata, West Bengal

Kolkata and Rasogolla have almost become synonymous over the years. And that is why an Indian might not know about the geography of the city but will surely identify Kolkata with Rasogolla and Sandesh. Jokes apart! Kolkata is truly a foodista’s paradise and you probably shall realize it better if you’ll be here on a holiday. Do not miss trying different varieties of Chops and Cutlets (veg, chicken,egg). Alu Posto, Sorshe Ilish (Mustard paste with Ilish fish), Bhetki Macher Paturi and Kosha Mangsho. If you love dessert misti doi (sweet curd) and Kaalakand are must have for you.

* Delhi

Delhi is not just popular for one single element but for multiple reasons. Whether it is the sightseeing spots or the restaurants, you will find a variety everywhere. If I talk about the Indian variety of street food, I would never miss out Alu-Tikki, Chaat, Gol Gappe, or may be the different types of rolls. Suggest you to try the varieties of Parantha in famous Paranthe Wale Gali of Chandni Chowk. Manage some time to explore the Jama Masjid locality and you would be spoilt for options of non-veg delicacies like Butter Chicken, Kebab or even Chicken Korma.

* Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh

Ready for a gastronomical trip to Bhopal? Let me tell you where you should rush to taste the most lip-smacking variety of Bhopali food. To start with, I would suggest you to explore Chatori Gali. What all you should taste here?! First of all, everything meaty is your pick here. To be very specific, Bade ka Kabab, Kabab Pao, Mutton Seekh Kabab and even the Paya Soup. Crispy, crunchy and tangy varieties are must haves. Also try the Bhopal special Biryani.

* Gangtok, Sikkim

The enigmatic beauty of the city of Gangtok is enough to baffle you to spend at least one holiday in the city. And here I would like to tell some more exciting elements to fix the plan of holidaying in Gangtok without much ado. A must head city for the foodies, Gangtok offers varieties like (Noodle soup with meat, eggs or vegetables) and Phagshapa (Pork fat stewed with vegetables). The vegetable or meat filled dumplings are just yum. Do you love alcohol? Yes, then you must try Tongba, the Sikkimese variety of beverage.

* Hyderabad, Telangana

Talking about travelling to Hyderabad and not even talking what to eat? Come on man! After all you are travelling to the city of Nizams and how come you forget about Hyderabadi Biryani. Keep all this aside and just rush to any streetside restaurant to savour the famous Hyderabadi delicacies like Dum Pukht, Maghaz Masala (spicy lamb’s brain fry), Boti Kebab, Malai Korma or Qabooli Biryani.

* Mumbai, Maharashtra

No matter in which part of country you are, you must know about Vada Pao and I am sure many of you have tasted it even. But if you have not tasted the Vada Pao at Mumbai (as it is the birthplace of Vada Pao) then you have missed a food from heaven. Anand, a famous stall in Gulmohar Road, Vile Parle West is the best place to try this soft and delicious snacks. If you are a gastronomic traveller, do not miss to try the Chicken tikka rolls at Bademiya, Keema Pav at Olympia Coffee House, or Crab at Mahesh Lunch Home.

* Amritsar, Punjab

Love to gulp heavy, buttery and spicy varieties of cuisines you must spend a weekend in Amritsar. You must know about Amritsari Kulcha as that is what I have known since my childhood. But, if you are one among those who doesn’t eat to live but live to eat then do not miss to try Amritsari fish, Amritsari Chicken, Tandoori Chicken, or Special Paneer Bhurji. Want to try some beverage? Lassi is perhaps the most famous drink in Amritsar.

* Jaipur, Rajasthan

If you would love to try some spicy and crunchy delicacies deep fried in ghee, you should plan for a culinary vacation to Jaipur. The first thing you should try for a spicy and crispy flavour is Dal bati churma, the flagship dish of Rajasthani cuisine. A ball made of flour and covered in ghee is served with lentil curry (dal) along with churma (a mouth-watering sweet). As you are out on a food trip only, forget about the weight gain and other concerns and grab a bite of Mawa Kachuri, Keema Baati, Mirchi Vadas and Lal Maas. Want to try some lip-smacking desserts? Try Ghewar.

* Kohima, Nagaland

If trying ‘bizarre’ varieties of delicacies is one of your best pastimes, you should plan for Culinary Vacations in India, particularly to Kohima, the capital of Nagaland. What all you can taste in Nagaland will surprise you but before that be assured that you are a non-vegetarian. Perhaps Nagaland can offer you the best varieties of dishes prepared with pork. Rice, chicken, dog, pork, insects and worms, vegetables, and famous chilli sauces are inseparable part of the Naga diet. Nothing short of a food adventure, a trip to Nagaland brings you the chance to taste Nagaland special Bamboo steamed fish, Nagaland Pork w/ Dry Bamboo Shoots and Chicken Glutinous Rice Soup. The luscious, hot food brings out the real flavour of the ingredients used.

* Goa

One of the best culinary getaways in India, Goa pulls food connoisseurs towards it for the seafood. A potpourri of flavours, the Goan cuisine brings immaculate blend of pork, beef, cashew, jaggery and endless varieties of sea food. In the food section, Crab XecXec Curry, Ambot Tik Sour and Spicy, Chicken Cafreal Hot and Spicy Chicken and Sorpotel win the race. Also, do not miss out on accompanying your food with the famous Feni, a local alcoholic drink that comes with strong aroma. You, with sweet-tooth don’t forget to try Bebinca.

* Mangalore, Karnataka

A melting pot of cultural identities Mangalore presents exclusive varieties of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. One of the best gourmet getaways in India, the city offers delicious Konkoni varieties of food such as Daali thoy, bibbe-upkari (cashew based), avnas ambe sasam, val val, Kadgi chakko, paagila podi, and chane gashi. A heaven for non-vegetarian foodies Pork Bafat, Sorpotel and the Mutton Biryani are must haves in Mangalore. If you are a fan of food and wine vacations head to Mangalore to try Khali, country liquor prepared from coconut flower sap.

* Kashmir, J & K

A paradise on earth for foodistas across the globe, Kashmir offers a wide variety of vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian delicacies. The vegetarian foodies must try Kashmir special Dum Aloo, Gogji Nadir, Al-Yakhni, Chokh Vangun and Haakh. But to be honest Kashmir is a heaven for non-veggies as they can slurp an assortment of mouth-watering chicken and mutton items. Don’t forget to try the succulent Rogan Josh, gravy enriched Gushtaba, hot and lip-smacking Rista. If you want to enjoy the royal Kashmiri dine, try Wazwan, the most popular multi-course meal in Kashmiri cuisine. Don’t miss to have a sip of Sheer Chai (salted tea). A fan of desserts must taste the delicacies like Kong Phirni or Khubani ka halwa.

* Malabar, Kerala

Are you an omnivore in real sense of the term, and travel to experiment with different food habits? You should rush to Malabar, one of the best food trails in India. What you can taste here is a range of dishes like Appam, Beef Kurumulakittathu, or scrumptious duck preparations. If you want to try the dishes made of rice, Malabar has no substitute. Well, travellers do suggest tasting the special Kerala Coffee which is an aromatic beverage in Kerala.

* Puri, Odisha

Though Puri is known across the world for its divine Prasadam obtained from the Jagannath Temple, food lover can find a wide range of varieties according to their taste buds. But, even if you are not much inclined towards spirituality I would suggest you to try the Maha Prasadam which consists of 56 recipes. The use of carefully chosen spices and the special cooking technique used to prepare this prasadam make it best of its type in the country. Non-veggies shouldn’t miss Chungudi Aloo Tarakari (Prawn Potato Curry).