The nomination of the Mediterranean Diet as Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) approved by UNESCO in 2013 involved in addition to the proposing States seven representative communities: Sória (Spain), Koroni (Greece), Cilento (Italy), Chefchaouen (Morocco), Agros (Cyprus), Brac e Hvar (Croatia) and Tavira (Portugal).
When preparing the nomination the communities were expected to be not only representative but also to develop actions committed with the goals submitted to UNESCO, to enhance the Safeguarding Plan and relevant for the preservation and the transfer of the Mediterranean Diet to future generations.
For these reasons each country chose a community where the “díaita” manifestations would still be alive as a Mediterranean lifestyle, with eating practices based on local, fresh and seasonal products, community gatherings in public spaces and around the table, symbolic rituals and cyclical festivities experienced by the populations.
The seven communities express common social realities but also specificities resulting from universes of different Roman-Christian, Orthodox and Islamic religious and philosophical matrices with food and practical beliefs and constraints which impact the populations’ daily lives.
The seven States and Representative Communities have jointly established operation rules and develop common planned activities, which involve the annual rotation of the project’s coordination among all the stakeholders, safeguarding and dissemination actions, namely the promotion of a WEBSITE and a logo, the promotion of research, culture and the tangible and intangible heritage.