The proclamation of Italian cuisine as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage marks a turning point for the entire gastronomic sector. It's not just about protecting recipes and techniques: it's acknowledging the cultural, social, and everyday value that food has in the lives of Italians.
A heritage made of gestures and knowledge
UNESCO Italian cuisine is defined as a set of shared practices: from the choice of ingredients to conviviality, from seasonality to the transmission of family knowledge. It is a living system, evolving without losing its roots.
Among the figures who helped support this candidacy , Maddalena Fossati , director of La Cucina Italiana , deserves a special mention. Her cultural work, involving dissemination and research into gastronomic heritage, has played a role in consolidating a more informed perspective on Italian cuisine as a collective good.
The value for gastronomic education
For organizations like Congusto Institute , this recognition opens up a new responsibility: to teach not only techniques and recipes, but the culture that underpins our cuisine.
Every student who enters the classroom becomes part of a process of preservation. They learn to understand local areas, regional traditions, and the impact of contemporary transformations. Training chefs today means training custodians of heritage.
A conquest that looks to the future
The inclusion of Italian cuisine in UNESCO's World Heritage List isn't a point of arrival. It's an incentive to continue to share, study, and protect what makes our gastronomic identity unique. It's an invitation to maintain a high level of focus on the quality of ingredients, artisanal practices, and the ability to innovate without losing consistency.
Italy achieves global recognition.
Now it's up to everyone—schools, professionals, restaurateurs, students—to continue a legacy that only lives if passed down.
