Italy successful in bid to have Italian cuisine recognised by UNESCO.
Italian cuisine has been officially recognised as a cultural treasure by UNESCO, the United Nations’ cultural body announced during an assembly in New Delhi on Wednesday.
The successful bid, which was launched in 2023 by the ministries of culture and agriculture, followed an initial green light from UNESCO last month.
Italian cuisine will now be added to the UNESCO list of ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’ as Italy becomes the first country to have its cuisine recognised in its entirety, rather than a single recipe or culinary tradition.
Italy’s bid underlined the close links between Italian food, culture and lifestyle, hailing the country’s cuisine as a social ritual that binds families and communities together.
In making its decision, UNESCO said Italian cuisine is a “cultural and social blend of culinary traditions,” “a way of caring for oneself and others, expressing love and rediscovering one’s cultural roots, offering communities an outlet to share their history and describe the world around them.”
“It is a communal activity that emphasises intimacy with food, respect for ingredients, and shared moments around the table” – UNESCO said – “People of all ages and genders participate, exchanging recipes, suggestions and stories, with grandparents often passing down traditional dishes to their grandchildren”.
L’@UNESCO ha riconosciuto la Cucina Italiana Patrimonio dell’Umanità: una notizia che ci riempie di orgoglio.#IntangibleHeritage #LivingHeritage pic.twitter.com/Axumwl6N0u
— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) December 10, 2025
In a video post on X, Italian premier Giorgia Meloni said that news of the UNESCO recognition “fills us with pride”.
“We are the first in the world to receive this recognition, which honours who we are and our identity” – Meloni said – “Because or us Italians, cuisine is not just food or a collection of recipes. It is much more: it is culture, tradition, work, and richness.”
Welcoming the result, Italian agriculture minister Francesco Lollobrigida said the recognition “celebrates the strength of our culture, which is our national identity”, adding: “Today, Italy has won, and it’s a celebration that belongs to everyone because it speaks to our roots, our creativity and our ability to transform tradition into reality.”
Italy recently boosted its candidature with an open-air lunch in the Roman Forum attended by Meloni, Lollobrigida and culture minister Alessandro Giuli.
Meloni, who appeared live on the Domenica In television show during the lunch, praised Italian cuisine as “one of the most extraordinary things we have, expressing our culture, our identity, our tradition, but also our strength.”
Italy’s successful bid for Italian cuisine is set to register a boost in tourist numbers, according to industry groups, with research showing that locations linked to food traditions recognised by UNESCO are more attractive to visitors.
Italy now has 21 traditions inscribed on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, nine of which are related to the agri-food sector, including truffle hunting and the art of the Neapolitan pizza maker or pizzaiuolo.
