Italian Cuisine Is Now UNESCO Heritage And Here’s Why!

Italy has good cause to rejoice: the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has officially acknowledged Italian cuisine as a distinct culinary style, making it the first whole culinary paradigm to receive this recognition. This should serve to discourage imitations of Italian cuisine.

Before the expected announcement from UNESCO, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Wednesday that Italian cuisine will be designated as an intangible cultural asset. After three years of fighting for recognition, the Agriculture Ministry of Italy finally succeeded in having the traditional Italian method of raising, harvesting, preparing, and serving food granted this status.

Italy bestowed UNESCO food heritage

Not a single well-known cuisine or regional speciality was singled out by UNESCO. The reference instead dwelled on the importance of everyday food rituals to Italian culture, such as the large Sunday lunch, the practice of nonnas teaching children the proper way to fold tortellini, and the simple act of sitting down to a meal with family. Italian food is a "cultural and social blend of culinary traditions," according to UNESCO's declaration. 

For its followers, the element is about self-care, caring for others, showing love, and learning about one's heritage, not just cooking. As a result, locals are able to share their stories and provide insights into their environment. 

With an agri-food supply chain that contributes almost 15% to the national GDP and a reputation for world-class cookery, the UNESCO food heritage designation has the potential to bring even more economic advantages to the country. The classic, family-run restaurants that have been the backbone of Italian cuisine for generations may find some respite from the current economic downturn and the growing gap between high-end and low-priced restaurants.

The veneration of one's culinary traditions as a form of national pride is not unique to Italy. In 2010, the "gastronomic meal of the French" was added to UNESCO's intangible heritage list, recognising France's long-standing custom of sharing special moments with loved ones over a meal. Furthermore, additional culinary traditions have been incorporated in recent times, such as the cider culture of the Asturian region of Spain, the Ceebu Jen meal of Senegal, and the traditional cheese-making of Minas Gerais in Brazil.

The cultural capital of Italy 

Some of Italy's previously included intangible cultural heritage items are manual bell ringing (2024), opera singing (2023), truffle harvesting and extraction (2019), Neapolitan pizza manufacturing (2017), and celebrations of enormous shoulder-borne processional structures (2013). With its addition in 2013, Italy joined the list of countries that benefit from the Mediterranean diet.

Italy said in its proposal that its biocultural richness is reflected in its "living gastronomic landscapes" and that the food is distinctive because it follows recipes that are non-wasteful, seasonal, and sustainable. A further point made in the proposal was the emotional bond that develops between people and their food as a result of family traditions passed down through the years.

Prior to its 2017 addition to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list, the art of the Neapolitan "Pizzaiuolo" was already recognised as a four-stage preparation and culinary procedure for wood-fired pizza.

Beyond Pizza And Pasta: All You Need To Know About Italian Food

Italian food heritage- a celebration of community

There is more to Italy's fame than just its cuisine. The official designation by UNESCO characterizes Italian cooking as a "communal activity" and a "daily practice," a description that highlights the profound integration of food into Italian daily life. Italian food is more of a ritual influenced by community, seasons, and identity than a collection of recipes; this classification validates what historians and chefs have long believed, from pressing olive oil with neighbours to Sunday dinners at Nonna's table.

UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list already includes culinary practices like the Mediterranean diet, Neapolitan pizza-making, and the French baguette, as well as traditions like flamenco and yoga. But those entries celebrate a particular method, tool, or way of life. Italy is the first country to have its whole cuisine, including pasta, olive oil, and regional harvest ceremonies, designated as a cultural practice.

For instance, UNESCO accurately characterised cooking as a "communal activity". The community is at the heart of Italian food. Many of their endeavours throughout history have to be undertaken collectively since they are and have always been an agrarian nation. Consider the passata di pomodoro: during tomato season, you must produce a thick tomato concentrate. Everyone pitches in, from extended families to neighbours, and then everyone shares.

People still shop daily based on their mood and what they want to eat, even in modern Italy with its large stores. They appreciate how new it is. The fruit vendor who gives you peaches for tonight or tomorrow, depending on when they'll be ripe, is one of those hilarious things that tourists love to photograph.

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How the UNESCO food heritage protects Italian cuisine 

Protecting authenticity from the spread of counterfeit goods is another practical goal of UNESCO's certification. For a long time, Italian authorities have opposed what they call "Italian-sounding" products, which are advertised as Made in Italy but are actually manufactured in another country. Although they claim to be authentic Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosecco, Mozzarella di Bufala, Prosciutto di San Daniele, or Aceto Balsamico di Modena, these knockoffs are actually made in China.