Italian Cuisine Is So Good UNESCO Just Recognized It as 'Intangible Cultural Heritage'

"If you've only ever wanted to eat at Italian restaurants, make pasta almost every day for dinner, and entertain Italian vacations regardless of season, much to the chagrin of your over-saturated friends and family, then you're about to feel extremely vindicated: Italian cooking has been officially recognized an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. The announcement was made on Wednesday, December 10, during the cultural organization's assembly in Delhi."

"Rather than selecting specific food items like, say, sfogliatelle from Campania, agnolotti pasta from Piedmont, or Chianti Classico wine, the designation of Italian cuisine in its entirety emphasizes instead the human and human-made elements of the nation's cooking tradition. UNESCO's entry for Italian cooking on its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage highlights its artisanal techniques, communal nature, "intimacy with food, respect for ingredients, and shared moments around the table.""

""We are so happy about what happened today," says Maddalena Fossati, the editor-in-chief of Condé Nast Traveller Italia and La Cucina Italiana, the Italian food magazine (both are published by Traveler's parent company Condé Nast). Fossati was the driving force behind the recognition, and first developed the idea during COVID when she witnessed just how linked food and the Italian people are. She brought the concept to the Italian government, who then named Fossati as President of the Committee Promoting Italian Cuisine for UNESCO Recognition."

Italian cooking was inscribed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO during its assembly in Delhi on December 10. The designation recognizes the entirety of Italian cuisine rather than individual dishes, emphasizing artisanal techniques, communal practices, and the intimacy with food, respect for ingredients, and shared moments around the table. Maddalena Fossati led the effort, developing the idea during the COVID pandemic and securing government backing as President of the Committee Promoting Italian Cuisine for UNESCO Recognition. A delegation worked for five years to prepare the submission. The recognition is presented as a historic, global first for an entire nation's cuisine.

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