The UNESCO committee has officially inscribed Italian cuisine as an intangible cultural heritage, marking the first time an entire national cuisine has received this recognition. The decision honors the knowledge, skills, and cultural identity embodied in Italian culinary traditions, which extend beyond well-known dishes like pizza and pasta. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whose government proposed the inclusion in 2023, highlighted that Italian cuisine represents culture, tradition, labor, and prosperity for the country. While the art of Neapolitan pizza-making has been a UNESCO heritage since 2017, now the entire Italian culinary heritage is acknowledged. This decision follows previous entries such as French gourmet cuisine in 2010. Along with Italian cuisine, UNESCO recently added the Hindu festival Diwali to the list. The committee continues to evaluate various cultural practices globally, including yodeling from Switzerland, family circus from Chile, and sari weaving from Bangladesh.

Source: https://www.zdfheute.de/panorama/unesco-weltkulturerbe-italien-kueche-pizza-pasta-meloni-100.html