Each year, along with its protection of ancient buildings, temples and natural wonders, UNESCO inscribes “intangible” parts of our cultural life. These could be saman dancing in Indonesia or polyphonic singing in Albania. Or it could be something delicious. The body recently awarded special status to Italian cuisine – a celebration of the nation’s culinary traditions – joining a list that includes Japanese sake, Belgian beer, Haitian joumou soup and Tajik rice dishes.