In a move that has stirred both national pride and political symbolism, UNESCO has anointed Italian cuisine as a global intangible cultural heritage. The designation, ratified Wednesday in Delhi, elevates the entire culinary tradition of Italy—from its humble pasta to its celebrated wines—to a protected status of human achievement.

Italy, already a perennial leader on this prestigious list with entries like opera and Neapolitan pizza-making, now breaks new ground: it is the first nation to see its entire gastronomic culture honored, rather than a single dish or practice.

The response from Rome was swift and triumphal. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whose government has strategically positioned food as a pillar of national identity, took to Instagram moments after the announcement. “We are the first in the world to receive this recognition, which honours who we are,” she stated, framing the cuisine as the essence of “culture, tradition, work and wealth.”

Her administration had made the bid a priority, formally submitting it just months after taking office in 2022. The campaign emphasized food as a social ritual, a theme vividly staged last September when Meloni and her cabinet hosted a Sunday family lunch amidst the ancient columns of the Roman Forum.

The industry’s leaders echoed the sentiment of a unified national patrimony. “I welcome with great satisfaction the official inclusion of Italian cuisine in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity,” said Riccardo Cotarella, President of the Italian Association of Oenologists. “It is a recognition of fundamental importance for Italy, for its cultural identity, and for that heritage of sustainability and biodiversity that makes our food tradition unique.

This achievement celebrates the profound bond that unites, from north to south, food, territories, and communities, telling the world of an extraordinarily rich and varied gastronomic culture, which is inextricably intertwined with the world of wine.”

UNESCO’s citation painted a picture of a living tradition, describing it as a “cultural and social blend” and a practice of “caring for oneself and others.” It highlighted the passing of recipes between generations and the shared intimacy of the table—a communal art form that, now inscribed on a global list, Italy claims definitively as its own.

Opening photo: Amatriciana by Michelin Star Chef Cristina Bowerman ph.struttura films