The Italian cuisine becomes UNESCO Heritage: national pride for the Belpaese.

Italian cuisine is now officially part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. A historic milestone — the first in the world for an entire culinary tradition, rather than a single dish. But behind the applause, the achievement brings ambitions, responsibilities, and a clear path forward: to protect, enhance, and transform an identity symbol into a true engine of economic growth.

“It’s well-deserved, but above all an opportunity,” said ICE president Matteo Zoppas, recalling how the candidacy — supported jointly by the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Culture, and Italian diplomacy — was “a highway for promoting Italian cuisine around the world.”

A victory years in the making

The candidacy began in 2023 under the Meloni government, with a bold dossier: not a recipe, not a technique, but “a collective ritual of a people” and a cultural model that brings together conviviality, territory, sustainability, and identity. An approach that won over the delegates gathered in New Delhi, convinced by the “inclusive, intergenerational, and social” value of Italian cuisine — capable of uniting communities, passing down knowledge, and promoting anti-waste practices.

Tourism Minister Daniela Santanchè openly speaks of a “historic goal” and a “strategic asset” for the national economy. In 2024 the food-and-wine sector exceeded 40 billion euros in revenue, with 12% growth in the last year. And 2025 began with strong momentum: 9 billion euros in just the first four months from food-and-wine tourism alone.

The cultural value of Italian cuisine concerns not only the 59 million residents, but also the 85 million people of Italian origin worldwide. A transnational community that, according to the minister, represents a “powerful cultural bond” now officially recognized also on an anthropological and social level.

For Giorgia Meloni, the recognition “honors the Italian people,” asserting the strength of a supply chain uniting agriculture, craftsmanship, and hospitality. A heritage “passed down for generations and transformed into a masterpiece in the hands of our chefs.”

And while Neapolitan Pizza, the Mediterranean Diet, and Truffle Hunting had already paved the way, today Italian cuisine enters the list as the first gastronomic tradition recognized in its entirety, bringing the number of Italian elements on the UNESCO intangible heritage list to 20.

The announcement in New Delhi was met with applause from the Italian delegation led by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who declared: “Our cuisine is not just what happens at the stove: it is identity, history, culture,” highlighting how the achievement was born from collaboration between institutions, associations, and diplomats. A recognition that also reinforces a key economic figure: agri-food exports reached 68 billion euros in 2024, continuing to grow.

A heritage to defend

When UNESCO defines Italian cuisine as “a communal activity” that values intimacy with food, respect for ingredients, and moments of sharing, it casts light on the cultural meaning food holds for Italians — the convivial act of eating, discussing other dishes at the table, arguing and chatting over a glass of wine and a board of cured meats and cheeses. Italy — as the prime minister reminds — carries a millenary heritage that must be defended, especially from the standardization of global taste; it must protect supply chains and, crucially, support producers.

UNESCO recognition is not an endpoint — it’s a starting line.
Italian cuisine enters the list of intangible heritage, but steps out of everyday life to become a treasure to safeguard, like a monument, a language, a history. And from today, Italy has something more to prove: a heritage that is not just a source of pride, but also a promise — the promise of being worthy of it, and passing down who we are, dish after dish, across the world.

Because a recognized heritage has value. A defended heritage is worth far more.

Main photo credit - Dissapore