To establish UP’s local cuisine and special foods on an international platform on the same scale as the ‘One District One Product’ (ODOP) programme, the state govt will soon launch the ODOC scheme. “After the significant role of the ODOP scheme in strengthening Brand UP, state’s traditional cuisine will now be established on national and international platforms through organised branding. The core objective of the ODOC scheme is for every district of the state to come forward with its unique taste, culture and identity,” the CM said.He gave the examples of Mainpuri’s sonpapdi, Mathura’s peda, Aligarh’s chamcham, Hathras’ rabri, Kasganj’s kalakand and moong dal dalma, Etah’s chikori, Sultanpur’s kadaha ki puri and pumpkin vegetable, Barabanki’s chandrakala sweet, Azamgarh’s white carrot halwa, Varanasi’s launglata, Bareilly’s sewain, Amethi’s samosa, Basti’s sirka and Siddharthnagar’s ramkatori, saying that such traditional sweets and dishes represent not just food, but local heritage, skills and economy.The scheme will prioritise quality, cleanliness and food safety, and all products will be certified according to food safety standards. The CM also emphasised promoting GI tagging in order to protect the identity of local dishes.“Under ODOC, unique dishes of each district should be identified and developed as cuisine clusters. Incentives should be given to manufacturers and sellers for branding, technology, packaging and marketing of traditional dishes,” the CM said.As part of the branding strategy, district-specific colours, symbols and styles will be added to the packaging along with the ODOC logo. Each dish will include a product story and identity tag showcasing its culture, history and method. Advanced techniques to increase shelf life will be used in packaging, in addition to making it food-grade and eco-friendly. Traceability and consumer information will be ensured through QR codes, nutrition labels, barcodes and dual-language labelling. Regional and festival-themed packaging designs will also be developed.“The scheme includes preservation of products, promotion of the local economy, expansion of food diversity, employment generation, strengthening the value chain and market linkage, and integration with the tourism and hospitality sector. Look at ways of increasing export capacity and prepare products for international consumers,” the CM said.The scheme, he said, would give new momentum to ‘Vocal for Local’ and also establish UP’s culinary heritage on the global food map.
