Italian Cuisine on the Road to UNESCO Heritage Status

Italian food is a beloved cuisine worldwide, renowned for its homemade pasta crafted from time-honored family recipes and wood-fired pizza served in long-standing restaurants. It’s no surprise that many consider Italian food one of their favorites. In fact, readers have claimed that one of Italy’s regions boasts the best food in the world during the recent Reader’s Choice Awards.

UNESCO Nomination for Italian Cuisine

In late March 2023, the Italian government announced its nomination of Italian cuisine as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage element. This prestigious recognition aims to celebrate and preserve the unique culinary practices rooted in Italy’s rich history.

The Impact of Italian Cuisine

The nomination dossier highlights the significant influence Italian cuisine has had on the biocultural diversity of the country. It describes Italian cuisine as a “set of social practices, rites, and gestures based on the many local knowledge that, without hierarchies, identify and connote it”.

Efforts to Protect Culinary Heritage

This movement is led by Maddalena Fossati, the editor-in-chief of La Cucina Italiana, and is supported by globally renowned Italian chefs such as Massimo Bottura, Davide Oldani, and Antonia Klugmann. Their collective efforts aim to celebrate the exceptional range of national cuisine and promote the universal value of Italian gastronomic culture.

Fossati expressed her emotional response to the nomination, noting that she has campaigned for this outcome since 2020. “I believe in our identity and in the complicated yet wonderful country that is Italy. Now’s the time to try and reaffirm the importance of our culinary lifestyle, which is loved and imitated all over the planet,” stated Fossati.

Previous UNESCO Recognitions

This isn’t the first time Italian culinary practices have gained recognition from UNESCO. In 2017, the art of Neapolitan pizza-making, particularly the skills of Neapolitan Pizzaiolo, was added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list. This list includes cultural practices and expressions of intangible heritage.

What Lies Ahead

A final decision regarding the UNESCO nomination will not be reached until December 2025. Nonetheless, we can anticipate a surge in discussions highlighting Italy’s rich culinary culture, along with an abundance of pizza, pasta, and other Italian delights making their mark in the culinary world.