World Culinary Heritage

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 producing raw food materials (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	Nominating countries	Year of inscription	Video (English or French)
Al-man’ouché – Lebanese equivalent of pizza, spread with olive oil and sprinkled with salt, thyme, sumac and sesame seeds	Lebanon	2023	Al-man’ouché, une pratique culinaire emblématique au Liban Al-man’ouché, une pratique culinaire emblématique au Liban
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
Ceviche – an appetizer made from raw fish marinated in citrus juice mixed with salt, onion and chili peppers, typical for the Pacific coast of South and Central Americas	Peru	2023	Practices and meanings associated with the preparation and consumption of ceviche Practices and meanings associated with the preparation and consumption of ceviche
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,  Mauritania,  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
Harees – a porridge of wheat cracked with a wooden mallet, meat and clarified butter, served in the Persian Gulf countries, typically in large quantities during pilgrimages and Ramadan, eaten with one's fingers while sitting on one knee. Not to be confused with harissa.	Saudi Arabia,  Oman,  United Arab Emirates.	2023	Harees dish: know-how, skills and practices Harees dish: know-how, skills and practices
Harissa – chili-pepper paste made in the Maghreb. Not to be confused with harees.	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
Iftar – a ceromonial supper, often for many people, eaten by Muslims after a whole day of fasting during Ramadan	Azerbaijan,  Iran,  Turkey,  Uzbekistan	2023	Iftar/Eftari/Iftar/Iftor and its socio-cultural traditions Iftar/Eftari/Iftar/Iftor and its socio-cultural traditions
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 a family's patron saint 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. ⚠️ Inscribed in the list of Intangible Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.	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
Xeedho – a decorative vessel or basket filled with camel or beef jerky and, in ethnic Somali tradition, given as a wedding present from the mother-in-law to the bridegroom. ⚠️ Inscribed in the list of Intangible Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.	Djibouti	2023	Le Xeedho Le Xeedho
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