Italian Cuisine Officially Added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List

Italian cuisine has received a historic recognition: the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee, meeting in New Delhi, has approved the inclusion of Italy’s culinary tradition in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The nomination, titled “Italian cuisine between sustainability and bio-cultural diversity,” was welcomed with enthusiasm and accompanied by prolonged applause from the Italian delegation, led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani.

This marks an unprecedented achievement: it is the first time that an entire culinary tradition has been recognized in its full scope, not as a single dish or technique, but as a complex cultural system that brings together history, territory, everyday practices and the spirit of conviviality.

A process launched in 2023

The nomination was submitted in 2023 by the Collegio Culinario – Cultural Association for Italian Food and Wine, in collaboration with Casa Artusi, the Italian Academy of Cuisine, and the magazine La Cucina Italiana. The goal was to highlight Italian cuisine as an expression of shared knowledge, rural and artisanal traditions, and a contemporary vision rooted in sustainability.

Recognized values: sustainability and bio-cultural diversity

The UNESCO dossier emphasized several core principles of Italy’s culinary culture:

• Combating food waste, a practice deeply rooted in domestic and regional traditions that encourage reuse and creativity in the kitchen.

• Conscious use of resources, with attention to seasonality, biodiversity and environmental stewardship.

• Enhancement of local traditions, which together form a unique mosaic of regional identities and knowledge passed down through generations.

These elements convinced UNESCO to include Italian cuisine among the cultural practices to be safeguarded and promoted worldwide.

A living, shared and ever-evolving heritage

This recognition confirms that Italian cuisine is far more than a collection of recipes: it is a social practice, transmitted from one generation to the next and capable of evolving over time while maintaining a strong bond with communities and their territories.

Entry into the Intangible Heritage List represents an important opportunity to reaffirm the cultural, educational and sustainable value of the Italian way of cooking, strengthening its central role in the global gastronomic landscape.