As the tenth anniversary of the Week of Italian Cuisine in the World concludes under the theme “Italian Cuisine: Health, Culture, and Innovation,” a fascinating paradox emerges: How does a cuisine rooted in profound regional fragmentation become a unified symbol of national identity? More intriguingly, how does this very fragmentation fuel innovation?
The timing carries special significance as Italian cuisine received UNESCO’s designation as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, with the final decision confirmed December 10, 2025. This recognition acknowledges Italian cuisine as a living cultural system—traditions, practices, and knowledge passed across generations. Yet the qualities making it worthy of this honor derive directly from a fragmented medieval past.
