I saw an interesting news feature about French cooking – at the opening of the Paris Agriculture Fair, Nicolas Sarkozy called on UNESCO to list French cuisine as ‘World heritage’ and needing protection.

As far as I knew, the UNESCO world heritage list is usually for monuments, places and buildings – to ensure they aren’t ravaged by development, neglect and destruction. Examples in France include Carcassonne, Fontenay Abbey and Saint Emilion ‘you can see a full list at Heritage Sites of France).

But I knew wrong! Since 2003 UNESCO has also started moving towards having a list of so-called ‘Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage’ (their words not mine, as you might have guessed) – ‘intangible’ treasures, featuring for example oral traditions, performing arts such as dance and theatre, and traditional craftsmanship. The first additions to this list will hopefully take place in 2009, according to UNESCO.

It isn’t unreasonable that a culinary traditions should qualify for this list, although apparently Mexico have already had a similar request declined. And France’s claim that French gastronomy needs preserving more than other countries has some justification, I think. There is a long tradition of fine food, and there are many small enterprises focused on maintaining the tradition and preparing very fine food to high standards.

Whether it is a more ‘important’ tradition to protect than that found in, say, Italy, is less clear. Who can say whether Thai food is less important than French food. Just less under threat, perhaps. I imagine part of the reason to push for the UNESCO listing is because the invasion by McDonalds and fast food is now underway in France.

And what about the UK? Do the pork pies and scotch eggs of my childhood not need defending? Can chocolate swiss roll be allowed to disappear forever? The deep-fried pizza sold in Scotland has a uniqueness unmatched anywhere else in the world.

Rumour has even reached these parts that Jamie Oliver has launched a ceaseless attack on much of the food that the English hold so dear, and a UNESCO listing could perhaps be just the thing needed to save it.

Edit added later: I have now read that Italy are inclined to agree, and they now want to be first to be UNESCO listed for gastronomy – seems they have more ‘listed’ fooded products than France, and believe their impact on ‘world’ food, with pasta and pizza, has been greater than that of France. Could be a major split in Europe ahead of us I think!