Italy launches bid to give its cuisine UNESCO intangible heritage status

Look for cooking in the dictionary and it is defined as a style or a method of cooking, which particularly characterizes a country, a region or a particular establishment.

For Italy, however, this meaning is too narrow, because the authorities think that gathering around a dining table is a friendly and family ritual worthy of protection.

This is why the combined power of the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, the Ministry of Culture and the National Association of Italian Municipalities have launched a push to have Italian cuisine recognized by the status of the intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO.

The announcement occurred Sunday across the country and in various Italian embassies around the world during an event entitled “Sunday lunches at the table” where thousands of people were invited to taste traditional Italian dishes.

Passing rites

“We do not name a way of cooking, even if all the Italian regional kitchens would have the qualifications to be recognized as Intangible inheritance by UNESCO,, We name a rite, “said Francesco Lollobrigida, Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry.

“A rite that belongs to all of us, which begins with the choice of food, goes through the kitchen and landed on our tables where we are still talking about what we eat. This is what Italian cuisine is, it is an old knowledge of Sunday. Big demonstration of what cooking is for Italians, added Lollobrigida.

Meloni: “Italian cuisine is worth 250 billion euros worldwide”

Unsurprisingly shared by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni who says that the maintenance of the Sunday special is crucial for the country’s economy.

“I used to spend Sunday lunch with my grandparents, for me Sunday lunch is also linked to” Pastarelle “, including the diplomat,” said Meloni speaking of the Rai television show “Domenica in”.

“Italian cuisine is one of the most extraordinary things we have, which best tells our culture, our identity, our tradition, our strength, but also our economy”, because Italian cuisine is worth around 250 billion euros in the world and we want to recognize it, “added Meloni.

“From high cuisine to popular cuisine, Italy, because of its varied geographic characteristics and its multifaceted historical stratifications, is embellished by an extraordinary plurality. The history of food is the history of civilization and culture. Whose primacy has long been recognized all over the world,` `commented the Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli ”, we therefore support with the greatest conviction And participation The candidacy of Italian cuisine as an intangible heritable of UNESCO ”.

Related

“Food is a pillar of our identity and a powerful social glue. There is no unrelated meal, there is no unless you tell. Going to eat is a ritual that unites generations, families and entire communities. It is from this deep link that the idea of ​​choosing Sunday lunch as a symbol to promote the candidacy of Italian cuisine as a UNESCO heritage site was born, “ the president of the ANCI and mayor of Naples Gaetano Manfredi.

“With this initiative, which involves several municipalities and territories, we want to emphasize that our cuisine is much more than a simple culinary art: it is the expression of a popular and accessible culture, which encompasses old gestures, rituals and knowledge, improving the link between earth and people, and represents one of the main resources of the economy and culture of our country,” added Manfredi.

The Italy of the UNESCO Tangible and Intangible inheritance

In addition to being the country with the greatest number of sites classified as a UNESCO inheritance in the world, with 61 sites dispersed throughout the country, Italy also has 19 intangible inheritances. The most recent of them are the art of traditional bell and the practice of opera song.

A decision on the question of whether Italy has taken the coveted list should be made in December.