World Culinary Heritage

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From among the many various traditions on Unesco's lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage I've picked those which I deemed to be culinary in nature. They include entries related to particular dishes or beverages, ritual meals or even entire cuisines and dietary traditions. I have omitted those entries which are primarily related to traditional methods of food production (agricultural, pastoral, hunting, foraging, fishing, beekeeping, etc.). I will be updating the table as more traditional practices are inscribed by Unesco.

Only those countries which are party to the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage can submit their entries to the lists. Countries which never accepted the convention include Australia, Britain, Canada, Israel, Russia, South Africa and the United States.

Tradition Countries Year of inscription Video (English or French)
Baguette
(see also: Is Poolish Polish?)
France 2022
Les savoir-faire artisanaux et la culture de la baguette de pain
Les savoir-faire artisanaux et la culture de la baguette de pain


Belgian beer Belgium 2016
Beer culture in Belgium
Beer culture in Belgium


Ceebu jën – Senegalese dish of rice, fish and vegetables
(see also: A Fried Pie and a Fish Dish)
Senegal 2021
Le ceebu jën, art culinaire du Sénégal
Le ceebu jën, art culinaire du Sénégal


Coffee in the Turkish and Arabic styles
(see also: Tea or Coffee?)
Turkey 2013
Turkish coffee culture and tradition
Turkish coffee culture and tradition


Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates 2015
Arabic coffee, a symbol of generosity
Arabic coffee, a symbol of generosity


Couscous – durum-wheat semolina porridge made in the Maghreb Algeria, Mauretania, Morocco, Tunisia 2020
Les savoirs, savoir-faire et pratiques liés à la production et à la consommation du couscous
Les savoirs, savoir-faire et pratiques liés à la production et à la consommation du couscous


Cuban light rum Cuba 2022
Knowledge of the light rum masters
Knowledge of the light rum masters


Dolma – stuffed vine leaves and vegetables Azerbaijan 2017
Dolma making and sharing tradition
Dolma making and sharing tradition


Dragon Boat Festival, observed in China to commemorate the poet Qū Yuán (4th/3rd centuries BCE) who killed himself by drowning in a river when his city was invaded by a foreign army. The festival involves eating zongzi, or tetrahedral sticky-rice dumplings with meat or sweet filling that are wrapped in bamboo leaves and boiled, as well as drinking xiónghuáng jiǔ, rice or millet wine with powdered realgar (a red mineral consisting mostly of arsenic sulfide). China 2009
The Dragon Boat festival
The Dragon Boat festival


Ftira – Maltese sourdough flatbread Malta 2020
Il-Ftira, culinary art and culture of flattened sourdough bread in Malta
Il-Ftira, culinary art and culture of flattened sourdough bread in Malta


Gastronomic meal of the French – the French way of celebrating special occasions by enjoying good food and drink together France 2010
The gastronomic meal of the French
The gastronomic meal of the French


Gingerbreads of northern Croatia Croatia 2010
Gingerbread craft from Northern Croatia
Gingerbread craft from Northern Croatia


Harissa – chili-pepper paste made in the Maghreb Tunisia 2022
La harissa, savoirs, savoir-faire et pratiques culinaires et sociales
La harissa, savoirs, savoir-faire et pratiques culinaires et sociales


Hawker culture of Singapore, combining Chinese, Malay, Indian and European culinary traditions Singapore 2020
Hawker culture in Singapore
Hawker culture in Singapore


Keşkek – a meat stew with hulled wheat or barley, prepared in a ceremonial manner with live music for special occasions Turkey 2011
Ceremonial Keşkek tradition
Ceremonial Keşkek tradition


Kimjang – the Korean art of making kimchi, or spicy vegetable and seafood pickles South Korea 2013
Kimjang, making and sharing kimchi in the Republic of Korea
Kimjang, making and sharing kimchi in the Republic of Korea


North Korea 2015
Tradition of kimchi-making in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Tradition of kimchi-making in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea


Krakelingen – ring-shaped pretzels which at the end of the carnival are tossed from a hill to the people of the Flemish town of Geraardsbergen by members of the municipal authorities who first have to drink a goblet of wine together with a live roach swimming in it
(see also: Holey Breads)
Belgium 2010
Krakelingen and Tonnekensbrand, end-of-winter bread and fire feast at Geraardsbergen
Krakelingen and Tonnekensbrand, end-of-winter bread and fire feast at Geraardsbergen


Kumis (in Kazakh) or airag (in Mongolian) – an alcoholic drink made from mare's milk by horse herders in the steppes of central Asia Kazakhstan 2018
Traditional spring festive rites of the Kazakh horse breeders
Traditional spring festive rites of the Kazakh horse breeders


Mongolia 2019
Traditional technique of making Airag in Khokhuur
Traditional technique of making Airag in Khokhuur


Lavash, also know as katyrma or yufka – unleavened flatbread commonly baked in western and central Asia Armenia 2014
Lavash, the preparation, meaning and appearance of traditional Armenian bread
Lavash, the preparation, meaning and appearance of traditional Armenian bread


Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey 2016
Flatbread making and sharing culture: Lavash, Katyrma, Jupka, Yufka
Flatbread making and sharing culture: Lavash, Katyrma, Jupka, Yufka


Mansaf – Jordanian dish of lamb or kid cooked in ewe's or goat's milk yogurt, served with bulgur or rice and very thin unleavened flatbread Jordan 2022
Al-Mansaf in Jordan
Al-Mansaf in Jordan


Mediterranean diet Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, Spain 2013
Mediterranean diet
Mediterranean diet


Mesir macunu – candies made of toffee mixed with 41 kinds of herbs and spices, which around the spring equinox are distributed from the roofs and minarets of Sultan's Mosque in Magnesia (Manisa) on Turkey's Eagean coast to commemorate a legend about the herbal paste bringing Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent's mother back to health Turkey 2012
Mesir Macunu festival
Mesir Macunu festival


Mexican cuisine Mexico 2010
Traditional Mexican cuisine
Traditional Mexican cuisine


Nowruz – Persian New Year observed on spring equinox by consuming a ceremonial meal among other celebrations Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan 2016
Nawrouz, Novruz, Nowrouz…
Nawrouz, Novruz, Nowrouz…


Nsima – East African maize-flour porridge Malawi 2017
Nsima, culinary tradition of Malawi
Nsima, culinary tradition of Malawi


Oku-noto no Aenokoto – a ritual celebrated twice a year by the farmers of Noto Peninsula in Japan, in which a diety of the rice paddy is invited into one's house for a sacrificial meal consisting mostly of rice, beans and fish Japan 2009
Oku-noto no Aenokoto
Oku-noto no Aenokoto


Oshitushi shomagongo – a festival celebrating the harvest of the wild-growing marula fruits which the Owambo people of northern Namibia use for making a wine called omagongo Namibia 2015
Oshituthi shomagongo, marula fruit festival
Oshituthi shomagongo, marula fruit festival


Pilaf, also known as palav (in Tajik) or palov (in Uzbek) – a dish made of rice, meat and vegetables, commonly made in western and central Asia Tajikistan 2016
Oshi Palav, a traditional meal in Tajikistan
Oshi Palav, a traditional meal in Tajikistan


Uzbekistan 2016
Palov culture and tradition
Palov culture and tradition


Pizza napoletana, or Naples-style pizza Italy 2017
Art of Neapolitan Pizzaiuolo
Art of Neapolitan Pizzaiuolo


Qvevri – huge ceramic amphorae which Georgians (the Eurasian, not the American ones) fill with wine and bury in the ground for the wine to age Georgia 2013
Ancient Georgian traditional Qvevri wine-making method
Ancient Georgian traditional Qvevri wine-making method


Raengmyon – cold soup with buckwheat noodles, meat, vegetables and eggs that is traditionally eaten in Pyongyang North Korea 2022
Pyongyang Raengmyon custom
Pyongyang Raengmyon custom


Slava – day of the patron saint of the given family celebrated with a festive meal and a round yeast cake called slavski kolač Serbia 2014
Slava, celebration of family saint patron's day
Slava, celebration of family saint patron's day


Šljivovica – Serbian plub brandy Serbia 2022
Social practices and knowledge related to the preparation of the traditional plum spirit, šljivovica
Social practices and knowledge related to the preparation of the traditional plum spirit, šljivovica


Tea in the Turkish and Chinese styles
(see also: Tea or Coffee?)
Azerbaijan, Turkey 2022
Culture of Çay (tea), a symbol of identity, hospitality and social interaction
Culture of Çay (tea), a symbol of identity, hospitality and social interaction


China 2022
Traditional tea processing techniques and associated social practices in China
Traditional tea processing techniques and associated social practices in China


Ukrainian borscht Ukraine 2022
Culture of Ukrainian borscht cooking
Culture of Ukrainian borscht cooking


Washoku – traditional Japanese cuisine typically seen during New Year celebrations Japan 2013
Washoku, traditional dietary cultures of the Japanese
Washoku, traditional dietary cultures of the Japanese


Yaldā – ritual supper consumed in the lands of the former Persian Empire on the night of winter solstice, in which red fruits (pomegranates, watermelons, grapes, jujube) are especially prominent Afghanistan, Iran 2022 Yaldā supper table