Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on December 10, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleUNESCO has recognized Italian cuisine as an intangible cultural heritage, a move expected to boost tourism and protect culinary traditions.
By Tanvi Mehta
NEW DELHI, Dec 10 (Reuters) - U.N. cultural agency UNESCO recognised Italy's national cuisine on Wednesday as an "intangible cultural heritage", a formal accolade for a cookery tradition passed down through generations, and one that Italy hopes will boost tourism.
The vote by a UNESCO panel meeting in New Delhi culminated a process that Italy launched in 2023. The government cast the nation's food culture as a social ritual that binds families and communities together and that goes far beyond pizza, pasta and risotto.
The 20th Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) session, meeting in Delhi's 17th-century Red Fort, also added traditions including the Hindu festival of Diwali and the swimming pool culture in Iceland to its list.
In a lip-smacking statement backing Italy's case for inclusion, the government depicted a diverse cuisine that is a microcosm of different cultures, from Lombardy's ossobuco (braised veal shanks with gremolata) to Puglia's orecchiette con cime di rapa (ear-shaped pasta with turnip greens).
"This is a distinction that can only make us proud," Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a statement on Wednesday.
"It gives us a powerful tool to further enhance our products and protect them more effectively from imitations and unfair competition."
Industry groups estimate UNESCO recognition could boost tourism by up to 8% in two years, adding 18 million overnight stays.
Italian cuisine joins a global menu on the intangible cultural heritage list.
That includes French haute cuisine meals celebrating Sundays and festive occasions, Mexican meals honouring the religious rites of an ethnic minority, Korea's kimchi fermentation technique and Japan's Washoku cuisine.
(Reporting by Tanvi MehtaEditing by Peter Graff and Frances Kerry)
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, the sciences, and culture.
Intangible cultural heritage refers to the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, and skills that communities recognize as part of their cultural heritage, such as traditions, performing arts, and social practices.
Tourism is the activity of traveling to a destination away from home for leisure, business, or other purposes, often contributing to the local economy through spending on services and attractions.
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