ITALY first country to win UNESCO recognition for national cuisine

UNESCO, Italian Cuisine a World Heritage Site: the message of Giorgia Meloni president, italian prime minister:

“Good morning everyone!

I want to share with you some news that fills us with pride.

Today, UNESCO has recognized Italian Cuisine as a World Heritage Site.

We are the first in the world to receive this recognition, which honors who we are, honors our identity. Because for us Italians, cuisine is not just food, it’s not just a collection of recipes. It’s much more: it’s culture, tradition, work, and wealth.

Our cuisine is born from agricultural supply chains that combine quality and sustainability. It preserves a millennia-old heritage passed down from generation to generation. It grows thanks to the excellence of our producers and transforms into masterpieces thanks to the mastery of our chefs. And it is presented by our restaurateurs and their extraordinary teams.

This is a record that can only make us proud, providing us with a formidable tool to further enhance our products and protect them more effectively from imitations and unfair competition. We already export €70 billion in agri-food products, and we are the leading economy in Europe in terms of agricultural value added. This recognition will give the Italian economy a decisive boost to reach new goals.

The Government has believed in this challenge from the beginning and has done its part to achieve this result, and I thank Ministers Lollobrigida and Giuli, who have followed the dossier, first and foremost. But this is a game we did not play alone.

We have won this challenge together with the Italian people, together with our compatriots abroad, together with all those around the world who love our culture, our identity, and our way of life.

Today we celebrate a victory for Italy. The victory of an extraordinary nation that, when it believes in itself and knows what it is capable of, is unrivaled and can amaze the world.

Long live Italian cuisine!
Long live Italy!”