UNESCO Cultural heritage
The intangibles
Gingerbreads from Northern Croatia: maybe a 'first' in a nutrition journal?
'The gastronomic meal of the French is a customary social practice for celebrating important moments in the lives of individuals and groups, such as births, weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, achievements and reunions. It is a festive meal bringing people together for an occasion to enjoy the art of good eating and drinking'. This begins the citation explaining why the French gastronomic meal is now a UNESCO 'intangible cultural heritage of humanity'. Commenting, Association founder member Barry Popkin says: 'Properly understood, nutrition includes delicious meals and the pleasures of the table, which nourish us and our families and friends in many ways'.
France. Nutrition and nourishment
The citation continues: 'The gastronomic meal emphasises togetherness, the pleasure of taste, and the balance between human beings and the products of nature. Important elements include the careful selection of dishes from a constantly growing repertoire of recipes; the purchase of good, preferably local products whose flavours go well together; the pairing of food with wine; the setting of a beautiful table; and specific actions during consumption, such as smelling and tasting items at the table... Gastronomes who possess deep knowledge of the tradition and preserve its memory, watch over the living practice of the rites, thus contributing to their oral and/or written transmission, in particular to younger generations. The gastronomic meal draws circles of family and friends closer together and, more generally, strengthens social ties'.
Croatia. Hearts and tastebuds
A second intangible cultural heritage announced by UNESCO in its most recent list, is the gingerbread craft of Northern Croatia, as seen in the photograph above. The citation explains: 'The gingerbread is shaped into moulds, baked, dried and painted with edible colours... The gingerbread heart is the most common motif, and is frequently prepared for marriages, decorated with the newlyweds' names and wedding date... The craft has been passed on from one generation to another for centuries, initially to men, but now to both men and women'. Association Council member Geoffrey Cannon comments: 'If Mars Bars are manufactured for the next 250 years, will they qualify as one of humanity's cultural heritages? Let's hope not'.
Mexico. Ancient food systems now under threat
Preparation of local foods is central to traditional ways of life in Mexico
'Traditional Mexican cuisine is a comprehensive cultural model comprising farming, ritual practices, age-old skills, culinary techniques and ancestral community customs and manners. It is made possible by collective participation in the entire traditional food chain: from planting and harvesting to cooking and eating'. This is the beginning of the citation for the third new UNESCO intangible cultural heritage of humanity, Mexican traditional cuisine. 'There is a tragic element in this deserved recognition' comments a Mexican correspondent. 'In my country, these traditions, which reach back thousands of years, and which are indeed part of our national identity, are disappearing very fast. One reason is trading agreements that are swamping our food supplies with cheapened imports. It is imperative that our cuisine, based on a wonderful variety of indigenous foods that amount to one of the wonders of the world, does not become merely a museum piece'.
The citation continues: 'The basis of the system is founded on corn, beans and chili; unique farming methods such as milpas (rotating swidden fields of corn and other crops) and chinampas (man-made farming islets in lake areas); cooking processes such as nixtamalization (lime-hulling maize, which increases its nutritional value); and singular utensils including grinding stones and stone mortars. Native ingredients such as varieties of tomatoes, squashes, avocados, cocoa and vanilla augment the basic staples'. And of collectives of female cooks devoted to raising crops and traditional cuisine: 'Their knowledge and techniques express community identity, reinforce social bonds, and build stronger local, regional and national identities'.
The Mediterranean. Another endangered diet
Olive grove. Can this ancient source of nourishment survive and flourish?
The successful bid on behalf of the Mediterranean diet came from Spain, Italy, Greece and Morocco. This ancient diet – or system of associated diets – also expresses precious ways of life. It is eloquently characterised by Association founder member Lluis Serra-Majem, who is also president of the Mediterranean Diet Foundation, based in Barcelona. Writing of nutrition in its biological dimension, he and colleagues say that it 'transcends the nutritional aspect of food and elevates it to the category of sacred, symbolic, and festive, accompanying most social celebrations and religious festivals that mark annual cycles'. (1) Lluis Serra-Majem also writes about the place of bread in the Mediterranean and other diets, in this month's World Nutrition.
Echoing this, the citation says: 'The Mediterranean diet constitutes a set of skills, knowledge, practices and traditions ranging from the landscape to the table, including the crops, harvesting, fishing, conservation, processing, preparation and, particularly, consumption of food. The Mediterranean diet is characterized by a nutritional model that has remained constant over time and space, consisting mainly of olive oil, cereals, fresh or dried fruit and vegetables, nuts, a moderate amount of fish, dairy (primarily yoghurt and cheese) and meat, and many condiments and spices, all accompanied by wine or infusions, always respecting beliefs of each community'.
'However, the Mediterranean diet (from the Greek diaita, or way of life) encompasses more than just food. It promotes social interaction, since communal meals are the cornerstone of social customs and festive events. It has given rise to a considerable body of knowledge, songs, maxims, tales and legends. The system is rooted in respect for the territory and biodiversity, and ensures the conservation and development of traditional activities and crafts linked to fishing and farming in the Mediterranean communities. It is critical that grandchildren of today recognize and know their grandmothers' recipes. They need to learn how to identify, purchase and prepare Mediterranean ingredients and how to transform them into lifelong traditional dishes and recipes'.
Commenting, Association general secretary Sabrina Ionata says: 'This new initiative from UNESCO is an accolade to our colleagues in Europe and Latin America, and another sign that public health nutrition is recognised as multi-dimensional. Let's make sure that intangible UNESCO heritages, while they may be endangered, do not become museum pieces. Now, colleagues, let's prepare some more applications!'
Reference
- Reguant-Aleix J, Rosario Arbore M, Bach-Faig A, Serra-Majem L. Mediterranean heritage: an intangible cultural heritage. [Foreword] Public Health Nutrition 2009, 12, 9A, 1591-1592.
