UNESCO Adds Italian Cuisine to Intangible Cultural Heritage List in First for a National Gastronomy

Overview

• The UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee meeting in New Delhi approved the inscription on December 10 in a unanimous vote by 24 member states.
• The listing recognizes the cuisine’s variety and rituals across the country, marking the first time a whole national gastronomy has been inscribed.
• Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni welcomed the move, saying it “honors who we are and our identity” and defines food as culture, tradition, work and wealth.
• The scope goes beyond earlier Italian entries such as Neapolitan pizza and espresso and differs from France’s 2010 recognition of the “gastronomic meal of the French.”
• Restaurateurs in Rome celebrated the decision, highlighting regional roots, simple local ingredients, and family transmission of recipes, especially through women.