PRAYAGRAJ, April 29 -- You Prayagraj's iconic samosas have been selected under the Uttar Pradesh government's ambitious 'One District-One Cuisine' (ODOC) initiative. The programme, launched in January 2026 and inspired by the One District-One Product (ODOP) scheme, seeks to identify and promote a signature dish from each of the state's 75 districts. Its goals include encouraging food entrepreneurship, improving hygiene standards, and building global branding. Deputy commissioner of industries Sharad Tandon confirmed that the selection process involved extensive consultation with culinary experts, historians and stakeholders familiar with local traditions and food culture. "Inputs were gathered from divisional-level expert committees as well as people engaged in the food trade. Based on this broad-based consultation, the samosa emerged as Prayagraj's representative dish," he shared. Importantly, the selection recognises the samosa in its entirety as a culinary symbol of the district, without distinguishing between variations-be it dry, potato stuffed, or sweet-or associating the dish with any specific brand. A comprehensive survey assessing production and sales has already been submitted to the government. The scheme, announced in the UP Budget 2025-26, is expected to benefit more than 1,000 families associated with the samosa trade across the district. Tandon noted this includes "around 600 manufacturing units, 200 street vendors, 200 restaurants and nearly a dozen self-help groups."...