Italy just made history.
For the first time ever, a national cuisine has been officially inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Under the title “Italian cooking, between sustainability and biocultural diversity”, Italian cuisine is now formally recognised as living cultural heritage.
This is not about recipes alone. It is about practices, communities, knowledge, and the relationship between food, land, and people.
UNESCO’s recognition highlights Italian cooking as a system of values:
– sustainability
– respect for raw materials
– seasonality
– intergenerational knowledge transfer
– strong links between local ecosystems and culinary identity
In practical terms, this designation reframes cuisine not as consumption, but as culture in action — a shared heritage shaped daily in kitchens, farms, and communities.
In a globalised food system, this recognition sends a clear message: food traditions matter, not only culturally, but economically and environmentally.
For MediTaste, this moment is highly symbolic.
It reinforces a simple but powerful truth:
taste is not just flavour — it is identity, reputation, and strategic value.
When culinary heritage is formally recognised, it strengthens:
- country-of-origin narratives
- premium positioning of agri-food products
- trust in traditional production systems
- long-term sustainability of local food ecosystems
This is a reference point not only for Italy, but for all Mediterranean food cultures seeking to connect tradition with modern global markets.
The official UNESCO listing is available here:
➡️ https://lnkd.in/d49Q-BFE