In Lucknow, the culinary landscape is traditionally divided among three distinct categories of cooks: the ‘bawarchis,’ who specialize in preparing food in large quantities; the ‘rakabdars,’ known for their expertise in small-batch gourmet dishes; and the ‘nanfus,’ who craft a variety of breads, including rotis, chapatis, naans, sheermals, kulchas, and taftans. It’s interesting to note that preparing an entire meal is typically not the work of a single cook. Instead, there are specialists for different dishes, supported by various helpers such as the ‘degshos’ who clean utensils, the ‘masalchis’ who grind spices, and the ‘mehris’ who carry the ‘khwan’ (tray) to be laid out on the ‘dastarkhwan’. In affluent households, the kitchen operations were historically overseen by an officer known as ‘daroga-e-bawarchi khana’ or ‘mohtamim’, whose seal served as a guarantee of the food’s quality.