A cornerstone of Italian culture is undergoing the recognition process that should end in Novemeber 2020

In March 2016, the Consortium for the Safeguard of Traditional Italian Espresso Coffee presented the candidacy of Italian Espresso for UNESCO’s intangible heritage. Yesterday, at the Italian Chamber of Deputies, it announced that the recognition process should be completed in November 2020.

The Consortium aim is to safeguard, enhance, and promote Italian Espresso in the world. And this recognition is certainly a major achievement for its members. In fact, being listed as UNESCO’s intangible heritage would guarantee greater protection for this typically Italian product. Recognition of Italian espresso as one of the cornerstones of Italian culture and gastronomy, to be safeguarded and valued in the world. The Consortium’s president, Giorgio Caballini di Sassoferrato, said: “We are counting on the help of the political forces because this is a transversal project that goes from Bolzano to Lampedusa.”

Here some numbers that explain how much espresso is part of Italians’ everyday life.

Today in the country more than 800 coffee roasters are employing around 7,000 workers. The annual per capita consumption of coffee in 2018 is 5.9 kg, an increase of 5.3%. 95% of Italians regularly drink coffee either at home (92%) or in bars (72%).
The process for the recognition will be accompanied by a tour in the historic bars of many cities. It will especially touch the Italian Unesco Creative cities: Bologna (music), Fabriano (crafts and folk art), Rome (cinema), Parma (gastronomy), Turin (design), Milan (literature), Pesaro (music), Carrara (crafts and folk art), Alba (gastronomy).

Ilona Catani Scarlett