UNESCO recognized Italian cuisine as a cultural heritage of humanity: what does it really mean.

According to ТСН: Italians received another confirmation that their cuisine is a true treasure of the world. At the UNESCO meeting in New Delhi, Italian culinary arts were recognized as "intangible cultural heritage" of humanity.

It's not just about recipes, but about love

Interestingly, UNESCO did not focus on specific dishes like Neapolitan pizza, but on the very phenomenon of "Italian cuisine".

The authors of the statement emphasized that this is not just a set of ingredients, but also a "social ritual", "shared moments at the table", and "preservation of generational memory".

"We are not talking about recipes, about products or about how to prepare traditional food. We are talking about cuisine as an act of love,"

- explained Pierre Luigi Petrillo, one of the initiators of the application.

So, now the heritage is not just risotto or pasta, but also how an Italian grandmother teaches her grandson to cook them, as well as how the whole family gathers for dinner.

The war against 'fake Parmesan'

For the government of Giorgia Meloni, this recognition has become not only symbolic but also a political tool. Rome hopes that UNESCO's decision will help in the fight against "Italian counterfeits" around the world.

Authorities plan to protect original products, for example, from "Wisconsin Parmesan", which tries to imitate the genuine Parmigiano-Reggiano. Now Italians have a strong argument:

"Sorry, but this is not just cheese, it's a heritage of humanity!"

"French, step aside!"

Italians were not left without competition. French gastronomy entered the UNESCO list back in 2010, but Italians consider their victory more significant.

Maddalena Fossati, editor of the magazine La Cucina Italiana, stated directly:

"French home cooking is not as strong as Italian."

And celebrity chef Massimo Bottura emphasized that the only cuisine that can match Italian is Japanese.

A spoonful of tar

However, among Italians themselves, there are skeptics. Professor Alberto Grandi, who enjoys provoking his fellow countrymen with his theories that modern Italian cuisine is a result of the post-war period, called the UNESCO decision "forced".

"I think of the Chinese, whose gastronomic culture is at least more diverse than ours and has greater historical depth,"

- grumbled the professor.

However, hardly anyone will pay attention to the professor when the Colosseum shines green, white, and red, illuminated in the colors of the Italian flag, and the whole world recognizes that no one eats better than Italians.

This recognition by UNESCO emphasizes not only the culinary mastery of Italians but also their attitude towards food as an important part of culture and social connections. Despite the criticism, the positive perception of the news indicates Italians' pride in their heritage, which has now received international recognition. This could become an additional impetus for the development of gastronomic tourism in the country and the protection of original Italian products on the world stage.