Italian Cuisine Becomes a UNESCO World Heritage Site: "The Crowning of an Ever-Evolving History"

Milano, 10 December - The Italian cooking officially enters the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, confirming not only the prestige of a global gastronomic tradition, but above all the strength of a culinary culture that has built its identity through centuries of evolution, contamination and international exchanges.

An award which, according to professors Michele Carruba and Pietro Paganini , represents “ not the celebration of an immobile tradition, but rather the crowning of a history of continuous transformation ”.

A heritage born from the encounter between peoples, territories and cultures

The common narrative portrays Italian cuisine as a monolith, an ancient treasure preserved unchanged over time. In reality, as Carruba and Paganini point out, it's the exact opposite:
our kitchen it is a constantly evolving mosaic, built over the centuries through global contamination.

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Many of the ingredients today considered symbols of Italian gastronomy come from elsewhere:

• tomatoes, potatoes, closest e pepperoni arrived from the Americas after the 16th century;
• le olive andgrape, arrived on the Mediterranean routes;
• spices and culinary techniques introduced by oriental trade;
• Arab influences in confectionery preparations and preservation techniques.

Italy has not simply adopted these elements: it has transformed them, elevated them, and shaped them according to its own territories, creating a unique gastronomic language , recognized and loved throughout the world.

The leading role of the Mediterranean Diet

Supporting this wealth is a method, a scientifically validated food philosophy: the Mediterranean Diet , already a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2010.

According to Carruba and Paganini – authors of the book “Obesity, instructions for rebelling: the Mediterranean way to balance, longevity and freedom of choice” – the strength of Italian cuisine lies precisely in the balance between variety, seasonality, quality and conviviality.

This approach:

• promotes the consumption of fresh and local foods,
• enhances Italian biodiversity,
• integrates health, taste and sustainability,
• enhances the meal as a moment of connection and culture.

It is a modern model, capable of communicating with nutritional science and the challenges of the present, from well-being to environmental sustainability.

A cultural and industrial heritage: 190 billion in value

Italian cuisine is not just culture: it is one of the country's main industries.

The Italian agri-food sector:

• is worth over 190 billion euros,
• includes thousands of businesses distributed along the entire supply chain,
• generates millions of jobs,
• exports identity products such as pasta, olive oil, cheeses, wines and preserves all over the world.

It is a dynamic, innovative industrial fabric, where tradition meets technology, and which every day brings a piece of Italy to global tables.
An ecosystem that protects territories, promotes sustainability, safeguards denominations, and contributes to the country's international reputation.

A living heritage, not a museum exhibit

Celebrating Italian Cuisine means recognizing not only a glorious past and a vital present, but also a moving future.

Carruba and Paganini emphasize how our gastronomy does not fear change:
he drives itIt adapts, innovates, experiments, and engages with the world.
It is alive because it continues to transform, finding new languages ​​through chefs, producers, researchers, entrepreneurs, and territories.

Today, UNESCO is not consecrating an immobile monument, but a dynamic heritage , made up of everyday gestures, simple ingredients, family rituals and a mix of contemporary creativity.

An identity-based and global recognition

The inclusion of Italian cuisine in the Intangible Heritage of Humanity is more than an award: it confirms that the value of our gastronomy lies not only in its taste, but in the history of adaptation, openness, and transformation it has embodied.

A heritage that continues to grow, evolve, and surprise.
And which today – as yesterday – brings Italy to the world, spoonful after spoonful.