Among the themes at the centre of the 8th edition of the Week of the Italian Cuisine in the world, there is the promotion of the candidature of the Italian cuisine to the List of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, represented by Minister Francesco Lollobrigida, and the Minister of Culture, represented by Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano, launched on March 23rd the UNESCO candidacy of Italian cuisine to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Italian cuisine is not just food or a simple recipe book but also a set of social practices, habits and gestures that lead to considering the preparation and consumption of the meal as a moment of sharing and meeting. It is the collective ritual of a people who conceive food as a cultural element of identity.
In Italy cooking is a way of taking care of family and friends (when done at home) or customers (when done in a restaurant). It is a mosaic of varied local knowledge, an expression of creativity and knowledge that becomes tradition and is transmitted through generations. It is also a form of biodiversity protection, based on not wasting anything, on the reuse of leftover food and seasonal products from the various territories. Italian cuisine is part of our history and is a heritage for 60 million Italians who live in the country, for 80 million Italians and their descendants who live outside the country and for many foreigners who love and are inspired by the Italian lifestyle.
