1. Concurring definitions

Food heritage is an umbrella concept that includes different definitions such as what can be defined as agri-food heritage, culinary heritage, and gastronomic heritage. Scholars do not agree on a univocal definition of the term [1]. Some authors adopt a conceptualisation in line with the one proposed by Béssiere [2] (p.27) that includes: “agricultural products, ingredients, dishes and cooking artefacts. It also comprises the symbolic dimension of food (table manners, rituals), techniques, recipes, eating practices and food-related behaviours and beliefs”. In other studies, agri-food heritage, culinary heritage, and gastronomic heritage are used as synonyms or interchangeably with food heritage and heritage food (i.e., the physical elements of food heritage such as local products and traditional equipment). However, there are some differences in their specific meanings and conceptualisation.

Agri-food heritage includes elements belonging to the upstream part of the foodscape. It focuses mainly on the relationships between agricultural products, production practices, and traditional knowledge linked to rural contexts. This link is often expressed by the category terroir. Agricultural products (primary or processed) characterised by a strong rootedness in rural, often marginal areas represent the material element at the core of this concept.

The term culinary heritage mainly considers elements and practices related to the preparation and consumption of food. Timothy and Ron [3] (p. 99) include in this definition “a mix of tangible (e.g., ingredients and cooking accoutrements) and intangible (e.g., tastes, smells, recipes and eating traditions) elements that contribute to the cultural values and characteristics of places”. A strong emphasis is given to socio-cultural elements attached to the culinary sphere, its ethnic or national dimension, and its role as an identity marker. Some definitions also denote the centrality of the continuity and evolution of practices and knowledge, as well as their intergenerational transmission.

An analogy with the definition of intangible cultural heritage proposed by Unesco [4] is evident in the focus on a corpus of culinary elements (more rarely individual dishes or recipes), a strong emphasis on practices, regional or national boundaries of heritage, and its marked political connotation.

The concept of gastronomic heritage takes on a similar meaning, especially with regard to the role of elements such as sociability, legacy, identity, tradition, and sense of belonging. However, it has a more comprehensive dimension that can include products, practices, and knowledge related to the cultivation, harvesting, and conservation of agricultural products.

Despite the differences and variability, it is possible to identify some common elements that the different conceptualisations share. First, they pay attention to physical objects embedded into well-defined geographical areas and cultural milieu. They are products or dishes linked to the public sphere and very often exchanged in market networks. Another commonality entails the formal connotation of heritage. In other words, material and immaterial elements of the foodscape become heritage elements following a process of official attribution of this status. There is, therefore, a prevailing focus on the process (i.e., heritagisation) and its dynamics rather than on the physical object (i.e., products and dishes).

2. References

1. Zocchi, D.M.; Fontefrancesco, M.F.; Corvo, P.; Pieroni, A. Recognising, Safeguarding, and Promoting Food Heritage: Challenges and Prospects for the Future of Sustainable Food Systems. Sustainability 2021, 13, 9510. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179510 
2. Bessière, J. Local Development and Heritage: Traditional Food and Cuisine as Tourist Attractions in Rural Areas. Rural. 1998, 38, 21–34. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9523.00061.
3. Timothy, D.J.; Ron, A.S. Understanding Heritage Cuisines and Tourism: Identity, Image, Authenticity, and Change. Herit. Tour. 2013, 8, 99–104. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743873X.2013.767818.
4. Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Available online: https://ich.unesco.org/en/convention (accessed on 20 June 2021).

This entry is adapted from the peer-reviewed paper 10.3390/su13179510