Italian cuisine becomes a UNESCO World Heritage site, the first milestone: the nomination has been approved.

The final decision is expected during the Committee's session in New Delhi from 8 to 13 December.

A decisive step forward for the candidacy of "Italian Cuisine" for UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage status . This was announced by the MIC, which announced that the candidacy for the Representative List of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage has received a positive technical assessment from the advisory bodies . The dossier, entitled "Italian Cuisine: Between Sustainability and Biocultural Diversity," is the result of extensive work by the UNESCO Office of the Ministry of Culture, which, according to the MIC statement, gathered data, testimonies, and documentation to best showcase the uniqueness of Italy's gastronomic tradition.

The nomination isn't about a single dish or recipe, but a shared cultural model , made up of community experiences, conscious selection of raw materials, convivial meals, the passing on of knowledge to new generations, and respect for the seasons and local areas. A tradition that lives on daily in families, local communities, and Italian communities around the world .

"Italian cuisine is a collective story, written every day in homes, communities, and territories . This recognition would be a great source of pride for Italy as a whole," says Gianmarco Mazzi, Undersecretary of the MiC with responsibility for UNESCO. Italian cuisine is a balance between humanity and the environment: it protects biodiversity, values ​​local production, encourages the reuse of foods, and promotes conscious eating habits. It reflects the connection between natural landscapes and the communities that inhabit them, embodying the memory, daily life, and culture of the territories.

Unlike other UNESCO gastronomic recognitions, the Italian candidacy celebrates an entire, widespread, daily culinary tradition, not tied to a single ritual or dish. Italian cuisine is the "cuisine of affection": it transmits memory, care, relationships, and identity, telling stories of families and communities through food. Following a positive technical evaluation, the application will be reviewed by UNESCO's Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The final decision is expected during the Committee's session in New Delhi from December 8 to 13. International experts will evaluate the cultural value of Italian tradition, the sustainability of its practices, and its ability to transmit knowledge to future generations.