I don’t know a single Italian who doesn’t feel a slight sense of discomfort when hearing “Fettuccine Alfredo” or reading an Olive Garden menu (no, most of those dishes are not traditional Italian recipes. Let’s say they’ve been… revised, to remain polite).
Now that Italian cuisine has been officially recognized as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, I can already imagine how much we Italians abroad will lean on this recognition to tip any discussion about the quality and authenticity of Italian food in our favor.
Defending Italian Cuisine Is a National Sport
We Italians are a little patriotic when it comes to our food. And it’s not just a battle between Italy and the rest of the world. We argue among ourselves, too. About which region makes a dish best, or who can truly claim the origins of a recipe (where was tiramisù really invented?).
Even within families, we love debating whose recipe is better. Although, let’s be honest: everyone knows that mom’s and grandma’s cooking always wins.
UNESCO Doesn’t Celebrate Recipes, But The Art of Cooking
So what does it actually mean that Italian cuisine has been recognized as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage?
It’s not an award for specific recipes or products. The recognition goes deeper than that. UNESCO celebrates the practice of cooking itself: a collection of gestures, habits, traditions, and shared moments that revolve around food and that are deeply rooted in Italian identity.
Because everything connected to food, in Italy, is sacred.
It often feels like we have a gene that pushes us to show affection through food.
Feeling sick? Your mom makes you a warm broth.
Got a promotion? Your dad takes everyone out out for dinner.
Had a rough day? Friends show up with pizza and a movie.
It’s the same idea behind UNESCO’s recognition in 2017 of the Neapolitan pizzaiuolo. Not the pizza itself, but the craftsmanship, the knowledge, the tradition of transforming two simple ingredients – water and flour – into something that goes far beyond a dish.
Yes, We Exaggerate. But Only Because We Care
I know, we Italians can be a bit intense. We’ll passionately defend the honor of carbonara, crispy guanciale, freshly ground black pepper, and argue against canned sauces that borrow the same names. Or against pineapple on pizza.
But when we get so worked up, it’s because food means everything to us.
It means defending Sundays spent making gnocchi with grandma. Waiting for everyone to come home before dinner, even if it’s late and you’re tired and hungry. It means welcoming friends into your region and doing everything possible to make them taste everything: taking them to that bakery, cooking together at home, pairing the meal with wine made by friends who run a small farm just down the road.
For us, eating is a way of communicating.
Italy Is Not One: 20 Regions, 20 Identities
That’s also why Italy is not just pasta, pizza, and tiramisù. Quite the opposite.
Italy is made up of 20 culturally distinct regions – far from being a single, uniform cuisine.
You won’t find polenta or alpine cheeses in Sicily, just as you won’t find Sicilian flavors in the mountains of Friuli.
These two regions are over 900 miles apart. Both face the sea, yet one lies in the heat of the Mediterranean, the other at the border with Austria and Slovenia. Different climates, different ingredients, different histories – and therefore, different cuisines.
Understanding Italy One Meal at a Time
We love bringing Italian culture to life on our tours. That’s why meals aren’t just breaks between bike rides or activities. They’re moments of connection.
Often, we eat at family-run farms where wine has been made for generations, or in the kitchens of a young couple who have chosen to leave city life behind and return to the countryside. On our Chef Tours, an experienced chef even joins the group, guiding travelers through local flavors alongside local producers themselves.
- In Sardinia, you discover how a simple, deeply rooted cuisine has helped make the island a Blue Zone, with one of the highest concentrations of healthy centenarians in the world.
Perhaps the secret lies in ancient foods like pane carasau, so thin and light that shepherds call it “sheet music,” paired with bold, traditionally cured meats and cheeses.
- Piedmont surprises with its intense flavors. It’s hard to believe bagna cauda – a sauce made from garlic, olive oil, and anchovies – could be elegant just by hearing the ingredients. But paired with seasonal vegetables, it absolutely is.
Not to mention tajarin, the region’s ultra-thin fresh pasta made with a reckless amount of egg yolks. Also, did you know that Piedmont is the birthplace of the Slow Food movement?
- In Puglia, you’ll see women shaping orecchiette by hand – the region’s iconic pasta, named for its “little ear” shape. They work with astonishing speed and precision, and people say it’s an art you can only learn as a child.
And then there’s the olive oil: a drizzle from millennia-old olive trees over warm toasted bread is enough to make you fall in love.
Slowing Down Around the Table
Perhaps today we’re forgetting how to slow down. Sitting around a table together is a simple way to come back to the present moment.
If Italian cuisine is now recognized as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, it’s because it continues to live through people. And the best way to discover it isn’t from afar, but right where it’s born: sitting down, tasting, listening – and letting the flavors tell the rest of the story.
