Recognition matters, but protection requires action
On the eve of UNESCO’s decision on the candidacy of Italian cuisine as intangible cultural heritage, Roberta Garibaldi warns that recognition alone will not be enough. The latest data show that the domestic practices that for decades formed the cultural backbone of the country are changing rapidly.
According to the report Italian cuisine: changes in purchasing, evolving consumption and new models of sociability, more than half of Italians still say they often cook local or family recipes, yet the regular preparation of traditional dishes is declining sharply.
Traditional culinary habits are weakening
Practices once symbolic of Italian culinary culture, such as homemade bread, fresh pasta and filled pasta, are now prepared weekly by only 6% to 8% of the sample. Only one third cooks soups, legumes or similar dishes at least once a week, while around 70% no longer prepare risotto on a weekly basis.
Even desserts and elaborate meat dishes, activities that once structured family and community rhythms, are now prepared weekly by just 17% to 18% of respondents.
Faster solutions are gaining ground
At the same time, the propensity towards convenience solutions is rising. Ready-made meals and food delivery are becoming more common, especially among younger adults. Those aged 18 to 24 cook complex or manual dishes less often, while the 25 to 44 age group is the most frequent user of delivery services.
Older generations maintain stronger links with traditional domestic cooking and continue to frequent farmers’ markets and neighbourhood shops more regularly.
Regional differences remain sharp
Geography still matters. In southern Italy and the islands, proximity purchasing remains central, with stronger use of farmers’ markets and traditional shops. The north-west and north-east show lower proximity and greater inclination towards digital and delivery-based solutions. The centre sits in between.
The overall picture points to a progressive cultural dispersion: Italian cuisine is still loved, but it is practised less, especially among younger generations.
Schools and social media must become new places of transmission
Garibaldi argues that the UNESCO candidacy should be accompanied by concrete safeguarding actions built around three priorities: strengthening food education in schools, translating traditional recipes and know-how into the languages of younger generations, and using platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube as spaces of cultural transmission.
“The candidacy of Italian cuisine as UNESCO heritage is a historic opportunity to recognise its culinary, social and educational value. But it urgently requires a national strategy that combines education, communication and cultural engagement,” says Roberta Garibaldi.
In this perspective, UNESCO recognition should be seen not as an endpoint but as the starting point for a long-term protection and regeneration process for Italian culinary heritage.
