The Week of Italian Cuisine in the World is one of the longest-running initiatives promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Launched in 2016 as a legacy of Expo Milan 2015, it celebrates the excellence and diversity of Italy’s food and wine traditions.
Each edition highlights a specific theme, promoting local products and culinary traditions, the protection of geographical indications and sustainable production practices that make Italian cuisine unique.
Traditionally held during the third week of November, from 2025 onwards Embassies, Consulates, Italian Cultural Institutes and Permanent Missions, together with the Italian Trade Agency, will be able to organize activities throughout the year — adapting their calendars to local contexts and audiences.
Since its first edition, the Week has featured over 10,000 events in more than 100 countries: tastings, show-cookings, masterclasses, conferences, exhibitions and business events, with a major inaugural celebration held every year at the Farnesina.
2025 Edition
In 2025, the Week celebrates its tenth anniversary.
This milestone edition will focus on the theme “Italian Cooking: Culture, Health and Innovation.”
Italian cuisine will be presented as a mosaic of knowledge and values, where every piece tells a story about Italy’s deep connection with food.
The 10th Edition aims to:
- promote greater awareness of Italian cuisine, in the context of its candidacy for inscription on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List;
- highlight Italian cuisine as a healthy, balanced and sustainable model, and a valuable ally in preventing non-communicable diseases;
- showcase the innovation and research driving Italy’s agri-food chain — from production to processing, packaging, distribution, consumption, reuse and recycling.
To support the event’s international promotion, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation develops each year a range of projects and communication materials. These are created in collaboration with selected partners and made available to the Italian network abroad to enhance their local initiatives.