Protecting Traditional Italian Cuisine:
A Mission and a National Pride
The Italian Cuisine Award program is an initiative designed to safeguard the authenticity of traditional Italian cuisine worldwide. Through concrete actions, the program raises awareness about preserving our culinary heritage, opposing the violation of century-old principles caused by recipe distortions and the use of non-authentic ingredients.
Eating is a pleasure—but if it’s not Italian, what kind of pleasure is it?
Objectives
Key Objectives of the Program
Safeguard Italian Culinary Tradition
Promote the core principles of our culinary heritage and encourage the use of authentic ingredients and traditional preparation methods.
Fight Against Alterations
Combat the misuse of the term “Italian food” associated with distorted recipes, improper methods, and counterfeit “Made in Italy” products that harm the entire supply chain.
Educate
the Public
Inform and raise awareness among consumers, restaurateurs, and chefs about the principles of traditional Italian cuisine and what Italians consider culinary sacrileges.
Support Italian Producers
Promote the Italian agri-food supply chain by enhancing the global value of our typical products.
Program Initiatives
What We Do to Protect Italian Cuisine
Awareness Campaigns
We create educational content to promote the principles of authentic Italian cuisine.
Awards and Recognition
We honor and celebrate chefs and influencers who respect and promote true Italian culinary traditions.
Strategic Partnerships
We collaborate with cooking schools and culinary institutions to expand our impact.
The True Traditional Italian Cuisine
Italian cuisine has long been regarded as one of the most esteemed culinary styles in the world. Global rankings, such as CNN Travel and international surveys, as well as TasteAtlas, continue to confirm its supremacy, thanks to the authenticity, high-quality ingredients, and simplicity of its iconic recipes.
In 2024, TasteAtlas ranked Italy first among the world’s best cuisines, with Neapolitan pizza confirmed as the most representative dish. Italian cuisine stands not only for taste but as an unrivaled cultural and artistic heritage.
Despite its success, many of its dishes and traditions are often distorted abroad—modified shamelessly with unusual or, worse, fake ingredients. These misrepresentations confuse the public, rendering them unable to distinguish between authentic and fake information.
This distortion arises from a lack of written rules to guide authentic Italian food preparation and a lack of deep knowledge about principles that Italians consider nearly sacred—leading to practices considered wrong by chefs and everyday Italians.
A Threatened Heritage
Sources such as Il Sole 24 Ore, Forbes, and a Deloitte study indicate that in 2023, Italian cuisine accounted for 19% of the global market, with an estimated turnover of around €230 billion. A remarkable achievement considering Italy’s size compared to other nations.
This valuable sector inevitably attracts producers that bypass our supply chain, introducing fake “Made in Italy” products to the market.
The accessibility of online platforms constantly exposes us to examples of anomalies and aberrations from restaurants abroad that claim to be Italian
Even renowned chefs like Gordon Ramsay appear on television preparing a carbonara with mushrooms, peas, and parsley. His video alone has over 7 million views on YouTube.
Considering all the influencers and videos online promoting incorrect recipes and ingredients for Italian cuisine, it’s easy to see we’re facing a massive disinformation campaign with hundreds of millions of distortions.
This affects not only Italians abroad who feel offended but also the identity of an entire culinary culture and the agricultural and food production system behind it
participate
How can you contribute to the Program?
The Principles of Italian Cuisine
An overview of the core principles (e.g., ingredient quality, simplicity in preparation, respect for tradition).
The Sacrileges that Damage the Image of Italian Cuisine
An overview of the major culinary sacrileges (e.g., use of counterfeit ingredients, replacing extra virgin olive oil with seed oils, altering preparation methods against tradition).
STAKEHOLDERS
A Protection Network for Tradition
Italian Chef Academy
Education and promotion of authentic Italian cuisine.
Community of Enthusiasts
Join us and help preserve our tradition.
Program Sponsors
Guarantee of authenticity and global promotion.
Join the Program
Join us
Nominate someone for the Award
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Participate in our surveys on Principles and Sacrileges
Help define the Fundamental Rules and Unforgivable Mistakes in Italian Cuisine.
Share your stories about authentic Italian cuisine
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