U.N. cultural agency UNESCO recognised Italy’s national cuisine on Wednesday as an “intangible cultural heritage”, a formal accolade for a cookery tradition passed down through generations, and one that Italy hopes will boost tourism.
The vote by a UNESCO panel meeting in New Delhi culminated a process that Italy launched in 2023. The government cast the nation’s food culture as a social ritual that binds families and communities together, and that goes far beyond pizza, pasta and risotto.
The 20th Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) session, meeting in Delhi’s 17th-century Red Fort, also added traditions including the Hindu festival of Diwali and the swimming pool culture in Iceland to its list.
In a lip-smacking statement backing Italy’s case for inclusion, the government depicted a diverse cuisine that is a microcosm of different cultures, from Lombardy’s ossobuco (braised veal shanks with gremolata) to Puglia’s orecchiette con cime di rapa (ear-shaped pasta with turnip greens).
“This is a distinction that can only make us proud,” Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a statement on Wednesday.
“It gives us a powerful tool to further enhance our products and protect them more effectively from imitations and unfair competition.”
Industry Boost
A CNN report suggests that this recognition comes as the country continues to fight against “fake” Italian food, including a recent complaint lodged with the European Parliament after jars of prepackaged carbonara sauce showed up on its shelves. Italy has also fought against the production of fake olive oil and the use of Italian-sounding names on products that were not made in Italy.
The recognition by UNESCO should help protect the cuisine from such culinary abuses, the country’s agriculture minister, Francesco Lollobrigida, said.
Industry groups estimate that UNESCO recognition could boost tourism by up to 8% in two years, resulting in an additional 18 million overnight stays.
Italian cuisine joins a global menu on the intangible cultural heritage list.
Such recognition often leads to a rise in tourism, although as one of the most-visited destinations in Europe, Italy is already being overwhelmed by visitors at peak times.
Meloni said the country would, however, get a financial lift from the decision, as reported by CNN.
That includes French haute cuisine meals celebrating Sundays and festive occasions, Mexican meals honouring the religious rites of an ethnic minority, Korea’s kimchi fermentation technique and Japan’s Washoku cuisine.
(with inputs from Reuters)
