Italy | UNESCO Officially Recognized its National Cuisine as an Intangiblke Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Italy is celebrating after UNESCO officially recognized its national cuisine on 10th December 2025. This is the first time an entire national culinary tradition, rather than a single dish or regional tradition, has been granted this status. The decision is expected to help traditional Italian products from imitation and further boost Italy's food tourism and economy.

The UN cultural agency’s decision honours not just specific recipes but the broader traditions and social practices surrounding Italian food, such as Sunday family launches, regional diversity, and the passing od skills between generations.

Key aspects of the UNESCO recognition:

·      Cultural and social blend: Italian cuisine was described by the UNESCO committee as a “cultural and social blend of culinary traditions” that fosters social inclusion and strengthens community bonds.

·       Sustainability: The application highlighted the use of seasonal, fresh ingredients and anti - waste recipes inherent in Italy cooking tradtions, promoting a model of sustainability and biocultural diversity.

·       A “gesture of love”: The act of cooking and sharing a meal in Italy is seen as a way of expressing love and caring for others, and passing down traditions through generations, which creates a sentimental connection to food and identity. 

This new status joins other Italian food - related traditions already on the UNESCO intangible list. With this new incorporation there are 16 Italian cultural manifestations included in this heritage list, and in the food order the Medterranean diet was previously increibed in 2010, including the art of the Neapolitan pizzaiuolo (pizza master) in 2017 and four years later the truffle hunting and extraction. 

In the dossier submitted in March 2023 by Italy to UNESCO under the title “Italian cuisine: Sustainability and Biocultural Diversity”, it was emphasized that Italian gastronomy represents a sentimental heritage that goes beyond food.

In approving its inscription on the list of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity, the international organization argued that Italian culinary art achieved a legacy that knew how to incorporate influences from other cultures without losing its essence.

UNESCO stressed when approving the incorporation of Italian Cuisine that it is “a unifying system that transforms time shared at the table into a tool to express feelings, build dialogues or share ideas.

In a message published on the official website of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers,the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hailed the decision as a moment of national pride, emphasizing that for Italians, cuisine, is “culture, tradition, work, wealth”. With this achievement the government expects the status to help protect authentic Italian products from initiations abroad and boost culinary tourism.

The Prime Minister pointed out that this success is born from agricultural supply chains tha combine quality and sustainability, preserves an ancient heritage transmitted for generation to generation, while growing thanks to the excellence of Italian producers and transforming into masterpieces thanks the mastery of Italian chefs.

The Italian premier added that Italy already exports €70 billion in agri - food products and the country is the leading Eropean economy in agricultural value added, and this recognition will give the Italian economy a decisive boost to reach new goals. 

Finally, the Italian Prime Minister stated that Italian cuisine is a practice based on mutual respect, enriched for centuries by migrants, commercial exchanges, maritime routes and diasporas that brought its flavours across the world with renowned dishes such as Neapolitan Pizza, Pasta Carbonara, Bolognese Lasagna Tortellini and Risotto, among many others.

Link

https://infoturlatam.com/italia-orgullosa-tras-incluirse-su-cocina-como-patrimonio-inmaterial/