The Intergovernmental Committee for the
Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage decided on 4 December 2013 to
inscribe the Mediterranean Diet on the UNESCO Representative List of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, in its revised version, thus
enlarging the group of countries which initially proposed the inscription of
this element in 2010. The countries which submitted the multinational
nomination file are: Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Morocco, Portugal and
Spain.
According to the description submitted to
UNESCO by the seven countries, the
Mediterranean Diet – derived from the Greek word díaita, way of life – is the
set of skills, knowledge, rituals, symbols and traditions, ranging from the
landscape to the table, which in the Mediterranean basin concerns the crops,
harvesting, picking, fishing, animal husbandry, conservation, processing, cooking,
and particularly sharing and consuming the cuisine. As a unique lifestyle
determined by the Mediterranean climate and region, the Mediterranean Diet also
appears in the cultural spaces, festivals and celebrations associated with it.
These spaces and events become the receptacle of gestures of mutual recognition
and respect, of hospitality, neighbourliness, conviviality, intergenerational
transmission and intercultural dialogue.
Each country
selected an emblematic community in order to describe the Mediterranean Diet on
its territory, as a way of life and fruit of constant sharing. These
communities are: Agros (Cyprus), Brač and Hvar (Croatia), Soria (Spain),
Koroni/Coroni (Greece), Cilento (Italy), Chefchaouen (Morocco) and Tavira
(Portugal).
Agros is a traditional village in the
Troodos Mountains, in the Pitsillia area. It stands on a wine route, surrounded
by vineyards, pine trees, wild roses and herbs, among others. The diverse natural
surroundings, the rich cultural heritage, the warm hospitality of the
inhabitants and the preservation of several traditions make the Pitsillia area
in general –and Agros in particular- one of the most beautiful places in Cyprus
and highly representative of the cultural identity of the island. Some of the
traditional products made there are: tsamarella, hoiromeri, posyrti and lountza
pitsilias, zivania, soutsioukkos, ppalouzes, kkiofterka, traditional sweets and
the well-known Agros rose water.
The nomination file of Cyprus was
prepared by the Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO and the experts for
Intangible Cultural Heritage in Cyprus, Dr Aggel Nikolaou – Konnari, in
collaboration with the Permanent Delegation of Cyprus at UNESCO, the Cultural
Services of the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Department of
Agriculture of the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment
and the Community of Agros. The identification and description of the local
products of the Mediterranean Diet in Cyprus appears in the Gastronomical Map
of Cyprus, the Cyprus Food Virtual Museum and the publication of the Cyprus
Research Center Elements of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Cyprus (Nicosia
2012).
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