Culture in France

French cuisine a cultural treasure?

by Alison Hird

Article published on the 2008-07-21 Latest update 2008-07-25 06:15 TU

Should France's world-famous cuisine be declared part of the world's cultural heritage? Chefs and academics at the European Institute of Food History based in the western French town of Tours want French cuisine to be placed on the "intangible cultural heritage list" of the UN cultural organisation, Unesco. But some people find the idea a bit hard to swallow.

“We really want to argue that cuisine is culture, a certain art de vivre, and what is the best place to have this proclaimed and celebrated? According to us it’s Unesco,” says Pierre Sanner, deputy director of the French mission preparing the bid.

But Unesco has its doubts. At the recent Gastronomy by the Seine festival in Paris, Chérif Khaznadar, president of the General Assembly of the 2003 convention on intangible heritage, dampened French hopes.

“There is no category in the convention for gastronomy,” he said, adding that he feared any such bid would fail.

The list aims to preserve “oral traditions and expressions; performing arts; social practices, rituals and festive events”. It has a preference for dances and rituals from the south, such as Mexico’s Day of the Dead festival and the Royal Ballet of Cambodia.

Undeterred, Sanner argues French cuisine fulfils certain criteria to a tee.

“We strongly believe that cuisine in the way the French appreciate it is a social practice, a ritual and a festive event. And to go further, one example given by Unesco is culinary traditions so we’re not far from our bid”.

Best in the world?

While the bid is backed by top French chefs Pierre Bocuse, Alain Ducasse and Marc Veyrat, it has ruffled some feathers abroad. Carlo Petrini, head of the influential Italian-based slow food movement, has said French gastronomy “shouldn’t be considered better than any other”.

But Sanner says it is a mistake to think this is a knock-out contest.

“This is not the Olympic Games. We don’t want to have a gold medal of cuisine. The main thing for us is to have recognition because it will help our children to understand the way you eat is the way you live: that if you spend time cooking, you spend time sharing and talking with your family.”

Changing habits

The bid also comes at a time of growing concern over France’s food culture being chipped away by globalisation, according to Mary Hyman, a historian specialising in French culinary arts.

“The French still do have a relatively traditional three-meal-a-day tradition with family or friends,” she says. “It’s a very convivial and social moment. The idea of snacking isn’t part of the French culture yet but it’s getting that way among the young. People are saying we’re going to lose our identity if that happens. So that’s the thing that has to be preserved, that spirit.”

So will France succeed where Mexico – the only country so far to have made a bid - failed?

There’s a long wait ahead. The French bid will be presented to Unesco next autumn and the verdict delivered in 2010.

And Italy and Spain are set to follow their Gallic neighbour, with a joint bid to get the Mediterranean diet onto Unesco’s list too.