These UNESCO-Celebrated Foods Around the World Are Worth the Journey

Ask many travelers about UNESCO-celebrated cultural sites and they might point to the mighty temples of Angkor near Siem Reap, Cambodia, or perhaps to the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. But some of the world’s greatest cultural gifts are not made of stone, but rather grain, garlic, chilis, herbs, and rice. In fact, some cuisines and gastronomic specialties are so remarkable they’ve found a place on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

From Neapolitan pizza to Peruvian ceviche, the iconic dishes and culinary traditions on this list go hand-in-hand with history, craftsmanship, endemic foods, and community identity. In a world where food trends take over your social feed, it’s also worth celebrating food that builds communities and tells stories. And while the popularity of these iconic dishes and cuisines mean that you can now try these regional specialties in many places, planning a journey to seek them out at their source, soaking in landscapes that have shaped centuries of tradition, adds to the experience. Whether you fly to Paris for a still-warm baguette or Singapore for piping-hot noodles from a hawker stall, you’ll find your appetite will often lead you to extraordinary places. As always, check for travel guidelines and closures before planning your trip.

Baguettes in France

France bakes up more than 100 varieties of bread, yet none can compete with the venerable baguette. This iconic loaf is such a cultural symbol that its production process is strictly regulated by national law. If you ask a local, they will all swear that their bakery makes the best baguettes, and in fact, there are awards for such in Paris.

To be legally sold as a traditional French baguette, the bread must be prepared entirely on-site. Additionally, bakers can only use four ingredients: wheat flour, water, salt, and yeast or natural leavening. In 2022, UNESCO recognized the artisanal know-how and culture of baguette bread, placing it on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

While baguettes are ubiquitous across France, Hôtel du Couvent, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Nice, France elevates traditional baking. This restored 17th-century convent operates an on-site bakery. Freshly milled ancient grains and long rising times make for an exceptional, historically rooted loaf.

Ceviche in Coastal Peru

Peruvian gastronomy ranks among the most celebrated globally. Local food traditions, international influences, incredible biodiversity — with colorful potatoes and peppers being some of the most famous ingredients — and Indigenous techniques shape the national recipe book. Together, the cuisines of the Amazon, the Andean highlands, and the Pacific coast constitute a cultural treasure. While there are many dishes worthy of recognition here, ceviche is an undeniable star.

In 2023, UNESCO inscribed the practices and meanings associated with the preparation and consumption of ceviche on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Thanks to the Humboldt Current, the country’s coastline yields an extraordinary abundance of seafood. Partially cured with a mix of lemon, chili pepper, and salt, the ocean’s bounty morphs into a bright, savory staple. Ceviche is so tasty that many cevicherias sell the leftover citrusy marinade as a drink, known as leche de tigre, or tiger’s milk.

Flagship restaurants at The Westin Lima Hotel & Convention Center and JW Marriott Hotel Lima serve ceviche using fresh ingredients. For a next-level experience, at Hotel Paracas, a Luxury Collection Resort, Paracas guests can learn to make ceviche at Chalana Restaurant on the resort’s own pier.

Kimchi in Seoul, South Korea

Over the years, kimchi has gained global fame for its flavor and health benefits, showing up everywhere from tacos to burgers. In South Korea, however, this culinary tradition has been around for thousands of years. And the cultural value lies not just in the final product, but in the preparation itself.

In 2013, UNESCO added Kimjang, the making and sharing of kimchi, to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This tradition brought families and communities together to prepare and preserve food ahead of the winter. While there’s a vast array of commercially produced kimchi available today, some home cooks in Seoul still ferment their own in traditional onggi (clay vessels).

Nearly infinite regional variations of kimchi exist, and plenty of cooks have their own preferred combinations of seasonings and vegetables. Seoul visitors can taste local varieties at Flavors at JW Marriott Hotel Seoul. To take the experience a step further, hands-on travelers can book tours to learn more about traditional preparation techniques.

Cretan Diet in Heraklion, Greece

Travelers are drawn to Crete’s rugged coastlines, but arguably the island’s diet defined by millennia-old traditions should be just as big of a lure. The Cretan way of eating celebrates seasonal produce, with more than 150 species of greens, and the artisanal production of wine, cheese, and olive oil. With more than 30 million olive trees and dozens of family-run dairies, this is an island where local ingredients remain a constant presence. Chefs in Heraklion, which was officially designated as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy in 2023, champion the local cuisine as a cornerstone of Mediterranean longevity and sustainable eating.

Travelers to Crete will find plenty of stylish places to stay where they can have Mediterranean cuisine, including Alai, Crete, a Tribute Portfolio Resort; Domes of Elounda, Autograph Collection; and Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete.

Mexican Cuisine in Mexico

When UNESCO recognized Traditional Mexican cuisine, it wasn’t just about recipes. The 2010 inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity honored a comprehensive cultural model, one encompassing millennia-old farming methods and community organization centered entirely around food.

Traditional Mexican cuisine involves nixtamalization, an centuries-old method that both deepens the flavor of corn and unlocks its nutritional power that is still practiced today. It also includes the milpa, a communal farming system. Additionally, it praises chinampas, human-made floating islands cultivated in the shallow waters of the Valley of Mexico that remain prime examples of agricultural resilience. Nixtamalization is also practiced by a number of North American Indigenous peoples, including the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois).

Many of these ancestral practices remain very much relevant today. Mexico City offers living proof. At The Ritz-Carlton, Mexico City, restaurant Samos Sabores Míos serves traditional Mexican cuisine interpreted through a contemporary lens using authentic, seasonal ingredients. Restaurants aside, a cultural boat tour of the Xochimilco canals reveals traditional chinampas still actively cultivated.

Hawker Culture in Singapore

Nowhere is Singapore’s multicultural heritage more evident than on the plates at the city’s hawker centers. These food courts are home to street food vendors, many of whom have been in the business for generations, and are an essential part of the Singapore culinary experience. Inscribed by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2020, Singapore’s hawker culture encompasses dishes with Malay, Indian, Chinese, and other roots.

Hotels like Duxton Reserve Singapore, Autograph Collection; JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach; and The Westin Singapore are also near iconic hawker centers, including Maxwell Food Centre and Lau Pa Sat.

Harissa from Tunisia

Adding flavor to foods around the world, harissa is showing up in dishes everywhere, from harissa-roasted carrots to savory spreads. But harissa is more than a delicious condiment. This smoky chili-pepper paste hails from Tunisia and is celebrated for its cultural importance, which is why it was inscribed by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2022. Harissa is traditionally prepared communally with many people working together to form its deep flavors. Even the way the chili peppers are grown and when they should be harvested follow traditional practices, which have been passed down for generations. The peppers are first dried in the sun, then prepared and ground with seasonings and olive oil to create the blend. The finished harissa is traditionally stored in pottery or glass containers. You can find it in restaurants and homes across Tunisia, and the next time you try it, you can appreciate the generations of tradition and craftsmanship behind every bite. Stay at Tunis Marriott Hotel to explore the cuisine and beautiful landscapes of Tunisia.

Intercultural Gastronomy in Panama City, Panama

While serving as a bridge between North and South America, Panama also houses the canal that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. These unique geographic crossroads shape more than just the landscape. When worlds collide, it often leads to new flavor combinations. The city’s history as a cross-cultural trading port has resulted in a culinary melting pot.

In 2017, UNESCO named Panama City a Creative City of Gastronomy. The recognition celebrates Panama’s rich biodiversity and multicultural heritage. Ultimately, the city’s culinary scene tells the story of Panama’s diverse population, where global flavors seamlessly blend with local ingredients.

Properties like JW Marriott Panama and W Panama sit right in the heart of the action, close to the many dining venues at Casco Viejo (aka Casco Antiguo). Meanwhile, The Santa Maria, a Luxury Collection Hotel & Golf Resort, Panama City hosts a weekly Sunday brunch at Mestizo Restaurant. Known for one of Panama’s heartiest brunches, this is the perfect spot to sample global flavors.

Neapolitan Pizza in Naples, Italy

Naples, the gateway to Southern Italy, is the country’s third-largest metropolitan area. Defined by its agricultural bounty and deep community roots, this vibrant port city is the birthplace of what the world came to know as pizza.

UNESCO inscribed the Art of Neapolitan “Pizzaiuolo” on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2017. With the goal of keeping the tradition alive, the Association of Neapolitan Pizzaioli organizes courses and trains future pizza masters. This ensures their precise wood-fire baking and dough-twirling techniques remain a source of local pride. Even pizzaiolis (pizza makers) abroad strive to earn this certification.

With more than 400 pizzerias, Naples spoils travelers for choice, although finding the perfect puffy-crusted pie can take some doing. Many restaurants are clustered in the Spanish Quarter, a few blocks away from Renaissance Naples Hotel Mediterraneo. Pizza lovers can consider a visit during Napoli Pizza Village, a summer festival drawing more than a million attendees.

Manoushe in the Levant

Across much of the Levant, bread is central to everyday meals and shared tables. Manoushe is a traditional Levantine flatbread closely associated with Lebanon, where UNESCO recognized al-man’ouché as an emblematic culinary practice in 2023, inscribing it on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It is typically topped with olive oil and za’atar (a fragrant blend of wild thyme, sesame seeds, salt, and sumac), though versions with cheese, meat, and other ingredients are also common. The tangy, yeasty aroma of freshly baked manoushe is often the first sign that breakfast is ready.

Manoushe fosters community bonds through baking methods passed down through families and communities. Neighborhood bakeries act as social hubs where locals gather while orders bake. At home, baking becomes a multigenerational activity, with children learning the family recipe from a very young age. While UNESCO’s recognition is specific to Lebanon, manoushe is ubiquitous throughout the region. Neighboring countries, including Jordan, also cherish the tradition. At The Ritz-Carlton, Amman, you can find fresh-baked manoushe on the gourmet breakfast buffet.

Tom Yum Kung in Central Thailand

Thailand’s first culinary tradition to join the list is a soup, specifically, one that encapsulates the cuisine’s balance of spicy, sweet, sour, and savory flavors all in one bowl: tom yum kung. In 2024, UNESCO recognized tom yum kung on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Recipes for tom yum vary widely, although kung (prawns) and other seafood are common additions. The complex broth is usually fragrant with makrut lime (aka kaffir lime), lemongrass, bird’s-eye chilis, galangal, and other seasonings. Today, this dish is an ambassador for Thai cuisine.

In Bangkok, renditions of tom yum remain a staple at restaurants all over town, including at the seafood-centric Thai restaurant Paii at W Bangkok, Thara Tong at Royal Orchid Sheraton Riverside Hotel Bangkok, and The House of Smooth Curry at The Athenee Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Bangkok.

Sichuan Cuisine in Chengdu, China

Defined by bold, fiery flavors, Sichuan cuisine relies heavily on umami-forward fermented condiments, preserved vegetables, excellent fresh produce, and seasonings including chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns. Taxonomically closer to citrus than pepper, Sichuan peppercorns create a unique numbing sensation known as ma, while the heat of fresh and dried chilis is known as la.

Chengdu, the provincial capital, has been a culinary hub for centuries. In 2010, UNESCO designated it as Asia’s first Creative City of Gastronomy. The city boasts more than 60,000 restaurants, plus a food museum in recognition of the local gastronomic heritage. Every autumn, Chengdu International Food and Tourism Festival celebrates the region’s love for all things culinary.

Chengdu’s recipe book combines sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, and salty flavors. In the city’s heart, Yue Chinese Restaurant at Sheraton Chengdu Lido Hotel offers contemporary Sichuan dishes. Farther south, Lotus at Chengdu Marriott Hotel Financial Centre serves traditional regional specialties.

Food is one of the most authentic ways to experience a place. Discover culinary tours that connect you with local culture and reward you with Marriott Bonvoy points