Cuisine – Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Humanity

Although cuisine does not take a big amount of UNESCO recognized heritages but it is definitely an attractive and potential one, which has been paid lots attention of and invested to in order to place this delicate value of culture on its deserved position.

The confidence of the French

French cuisine is an elite summit of European cuisine, which was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Humanity in 2010. The City of Light is hometown of renowned chefs, birthplace of haute cuisine, as well as where style-shaped the standard of precious etiquettes.

For centuries, the French have always believed that nothing could satisfy the taste and uplift the spirit as well as having a good meal with family and friends. At an agricultural fair in 2008, President Nicolas Sarkozy proudly declared, "French cuisine is the best of the world and needs to be put on the list of cultural heritage of humanity by UNESCO".

France is also homeland of haute cuisine, which is obviously because the term just came from France. “Haute cuisine” is a term to describe a culinary school that use expensive selected ingredients, elaborate cooking, exquisite decoration, and proper table manner. Furthermore, those dishes should be served with high-class wine.

Moreover, the peerage is also presented by delicate and elegant etiquette. The French have no what is called fast food or fast meal. Every meal is a piece of art and if you walk in a professional kitchen or a restaurant, you would be an artist. Their dining etiquette includes careful and particularistic decoration in every dish, sitting position of diners, and table setting.

It’s proper to say that a French meal is a tight etiquette: starting with aperitif, having appetizer, main course (vegetables and grains, fish or meat), cheese or dessert, and ending with digestif (a special type of wine to improve digesting process). The meal emphasizes the importance of reunion, quiche, and harmony between diners and natural products. Key elements of French cuisine are plentiful cooking recipes, carefully selected ingredients, delicate combination between wine and food, and eye-catching table setting.

Japanese strategies

The Japanese were so proud when Japanese traditional Washoku cuisine was recognized by UNESCO in 2013 because Washoku is not a specific dish but the whole culinary culture. The idea of suggesting UNESCO to recognize Japanese traditional food as the world intangible cultural heritage was started by chefs from former capital Kyoto in order to protect traditional cuisine from fast food invasion. That was a huge ambitious of the Japanese when they suggested UNESCO to recognize not one specific dish but spirit of the whole traditional cuisine.

In the proposal, the Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries & Agriculture and Cultural Heritage Committee had included a definition of Washoku: "Created from the spirit of respecting fundamental nature of the Japanese people; Be social practices are closely related to traditional events, such as the new year, new crops, or harvest festivals; And to increase cohesion between families or regions ".

In Japanese, “washoku” is to distinguish Japanese food from “yoshoku” – food with exotic influence. An important feature in Japanese traditional food is seasonal and “backyard” products, meaning they always use in-season products to cook and produce from their backyard to garnish. They believe that in order to maintain the nutritional balance, each meal needs to have 5 colors (white, red, yellow, green, and another dark color) and to contain harmony tastes (salty, sour, sweet, bitter, and umami).

Furthermore, Japanese chefs always pay attention to aesthetic aspect so that each dish should look like a piece of art. The Japanese prefer mild and healthy food so they avoid using garlic, pepper, and oil. Chefs are so picky choosing dishes for their food, in which the favorite materials are old pottery and lacquer in multiple colors and different shapes.

Kimchee and Pizza race

Even though Kimjang – Korean culture of pickling kimchee – was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Humanity in 2013, the Korean have still kept advertising their national treasure of food. While national strategy planners have increased exported goods, youngsters have made diversification for the love of Korean cultural symbol.

Red buses with kimchee images – “Korean national treasure” – go around the world to introduce the dish.

The students of Hotel Management, Kyunghee College, made a trip to go around the world on a rustic bus and a fridge packed with pickled nappa cabbage. Starting from 2011, the bus has passed by 140 cities in Europe, North America, and Japan. In 2014, the red bus with kimchee images kept taking the group of students to the final journey in Latin America. At every stop, they presented how to make kimchee and set up a Korean traditional meal then invited local people to the on-the-side-way meal.

Being also famous and world wide but Italian pizza have not found their deserved position in culinary world. Former Agriculture Minister Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio actively started a campaign, which they would collect signatures to suggest UNESCO recognize Arts of Napoli pizza as intangible cultural heritage. He desired to introduce Italian pizza to the world and to establish possession right of their pizza recipes.

Napoli pizza was recognized by EU as protected traditional specialty.

In 2009, Napoli pizza was recognized by EU as protected traditional specialty. It means whoever makes Napoli pizza must prepare right ingredients and properly bake as standardized process, such as pizza crust must be hand made, San Marzano tomatoes and Mozzarella cheese from buffalo milk must be used, pizza must be baked in charcoal or wood oven, and decoration style must be followed.

Writer: Quynh Anh/The World & Vietnam Report

Translator: Thu Pham