More Than Just Pasta: Why Italian Cuisine is the Perfect Recipe for 'Family Day'

This year, more than ever, Family Day invites us to stop for a moment, set the table, and remember what truly connects us. It is no coincidence that right now, Italian cuisine is receiving historic recognition from UNESCO as an 'Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity,' a title that honors not just recipes, but the family and community spirit that has stood behind them for centuries.

Ahead of Family Day, news arrives from Italy reminding us all how much food is about more than just taste. Recently, UNESCO announced that Italian cuisine would be recognized as an 'Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity,' a historic gesture that honors not only pasta and pizza, but a long-standing tradition of passing knowledge from generation to generation, connecting the community to the table, and preserving deep roots. The recognition seeks to protect culinary heritage, promote education in traditional cooking values, and strengthen local producers—the people who have continued for centuries to cook, produce, and tell a family story through the plate.

"Italian cuisine is not just a collection of beloved dishes, but an entire system of knowledge, rural craftsmanship, and social history. It is a tradition passed down from generation to generation, much like family stories, small gestures of love, and the little secrets of a tomato sauce that simmers for hours on the fire," explains Shai Alon, founder of the Fiori Italian restaurant chain. According to him, the Italian magic lies in simplicity.

"Italian cuisine embodies the values of using fresh ingredients, local agriculture, and traditional preparation methods. It strengthens the sense of community, deepens family ties, and transfers culinary knowledge between generations. Dishes like pasta, pizza, risotto, fine cheeses, and high-quality olive oil are much more than food; they are a cultural symbol that brings people and nations closer together," Alon explains.

Family Day is the perfect opportunity to adopt this spirit. In Italy, the Sunday family meal is almost a sacred ritual: Grandma kneads dough for fresh pasta, the children help fill the ravioli, and the house fills with the aroma of tomato sauce, garlic, and basil. The neighborhood trattoria—that homely, popular restaurant—serves as a social hub where tradition and human warmth meet. The recipes there are passed from generation to generation, and the food is served with warm simplicity, just like at home.

UNESCO's recognition also emphasizes the preservation of ancient production processes: cheeses, wines, and olive oil produced in a delicate balance between innovation and tradition. Fresh pasta, prepared daily in traditional kitchens, symbolizes above all the value Italians place on manual labor and precision. Its soft, elastic texture and ability to delicately absorb sauces create a rich experience, while also reminding us that time and investment are an integral part of the result.

In Israel, too, this spirit has found a warm home. More and more families are choosing to celebrate around a table laden with fresh pastas, antipasti, refreshing salads, and a tiramisu dessert served in the center of the table for sharing. Because ultimately, Italian food speaks a universal language of belonging, warmth, and simplicity—a language that perfectly suits Family Day. So perhaps this year, instead of another rushed meal, we will embrace the Italian pace: we’ll cook together, knead dough by hand, taste the sauce and add another pinch of salt, open a bottle of wine, and sit at the table without a watch. Because as we have learned from the Italians, family is not celebrated only with words, but with dishes served with love.

The "Fiori" Chain: Specializes in traditional Italian food based on high-quality, meticulous ingredients, faithful to Italian simplicity and tradition. The restaurants are designed with the inspiration of a homely and popular Italian restaurant, where recipes pass from generation to generation and the food is served at eye level in a warm, family atmosphere. The open kitchen and the stone oven at its center turn the pizza baking and pasta preparation into part of the experience itself—one that invites people to sit together around one table, share dishes, and celebrate what is truly important: family.

Fiori chain branches are located in Yakum, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Kfar Saba, and Yarka.

For details and orders: https://www.fiori.co.il/

(Photo: Dimitri Pomazan)