Food heritage in the national inventory of intangible cultural heritage in portugal

Analysis and reflections

Abstract

This paper aims to provide an anthropological analysis of initiatives for the inventorying of Portuguese food heritage carried out in the country in recent years. The theme of inventorying intangible cultural heritage has gained academic attention internationally over the past two decades. This can be explained by the multiplication of initiatives for the registration of intangible elements and the particular importance attributed to the instrument of the inventory by the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003). The same importance is evident in Decree-Law No. 139/2009, of July 15, which established the legal framework for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in Portugal. However, the academic interest in the inventorying of intangible heritage, in general, has not extended to the specific domain of the Portuguese food heritage. The objective of the present work is to contribute to discussions on the heritage-making of intangible culture and the challenges posed by the inventorying of culinary practices and knowledge considered traditional.