Italian cooking has received a special cultural heritage status from the United Nations' cultural agency, Unesco. While pizza and other national favorites were already listed as "intangible cultural heritage," the entire Italian cooking tradition and the way it is shared have now been honored. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who pushed for this recognition, said, "For us Italians, cuisine is not just food or a collection of recipes. It is so much more: it is culture, tradition, work, wealth." The announcement was made at a Unesco meeting in Delhi on Wednesday. Unesco described Italian cuisine as a way to connect with family and community through home meals, schools, festivals, ceremonies, and social gatherings. Chef Michelangelo Mammoliti from Piedmont, featured in the 2026 Michelin Guide, told La Repubblica, "Italy is one of the nations where regional cuisine has a very big impact on culture and traditions." Italy welcomes 80 million international tourists each year, and leaders hope this honor will boost this number. Luigi Scordamaglia, CEO of Filiera Italia, said the Unesco recognition is a success for the entire "Made in Italy" food chain. He highlighted the Mediterranean diet’s role in health, saying, "When we talk about the Mediterranean diet, we're talking about our wonderful Italian cuisine, which shares its principles, first and foremost those of balance and variety." Alongside Italy’s food culture, Unesco also added other traditions like Egypt’s koshary dish, Iceland’s swimming pool culture, Cuban Son music, and Albania’s lahuta art to its intangible cultural heritage list.