The Italian Embassy in Paris and the Permanent Representation of Italy to UNESCO organised a gastronomy and oenology event last November 19th for the launch of the 9th Week of the Italian Cuisine in the World, with the support of the ICE-ITA Agency and the participation of the president of the Agriculture Commission of the Chamber of Deputies, Mr Mirco Carloni.
In his speech, Mr Carloni underlined that the Italian Cuisine, which is candidate to enter the UNESCO Intangible Heritage List in 2025, is not only about recipes but also an act of care and love that allows to share one’s cultural roots and a passion that unites people through food. The Italian Cuisine, he went on, is a symbol of sustainability, biodiversity and peace.
Ambassador Emanuela D’Alessandro highlighted the success of the Italian Cuisine in France and its close relationship with tradition, describing it as a patchwork of local knowledge that is passed on from one generation to another. The Ambassador also reminded the importance of the Week of the Italian Cuisine in the World, inaugurated in Rome by the Vice-president of the Council of Ministers and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani.
The Permanent Representative of Italy to UNESCO, Ambassador Liborio Stellino, reminded the audience that, this year is a special edition of the event, since Italy has decided to undertake a new project with UNESCO by submitting the candidature of the Italian Cuisine to the Intangible Heritage List in 2025. After greeting the Permanent delegates to UNESCO coming from all continents that took part in the event, the Ambassador underlined how the Italian Cuisine is based, among other things, on “sharing, on the transmission of traditions from generation to generation and on the attention to cultural diversity, since it built up, over time, thanks to influences and practices from all over the world. These values contribute to a culture of peace, dialogue, understanding and mutual respect, embracing the past, the present and the future of a society.”
During the event, the students from the Italian Hotel Schools introduced traditional Italian recipes, explaining what makes them authentic and sustainable and their nutritional value. They were supported by a delegation from the Guillaume Tirel Hospitality School.
