Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Honduras and the and Venezuela co-signed on Friday, 31 March 2023 in Paris, France applied together on Friday, 31 March 2023 for the recognition of “casabe” production as a an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity culinary tradition. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has opened its 2024 cycle for awarding the distinction. Dominican ambassador to the UNESCO, Andres Mateo has been assisting in processing the request.
This is the first multi-country application to the UNESCO made by countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The five countries share the heritage of the production techniques used to produce “casaba,” or manioc bread. Indigenous peoples developed the use of this food prepared from bitter cassava or manioc. The Spaniards took the bread with them on their ships when launching their conquest efforts through the Americas.
Culture Minister Milagros Germán was in Paris, France for the signing. She spoke in Paris of how cassava is one of the most transcendental pre-Hispanic culinary heritages that since the time of the native inhabitants has continued to be a mainstay of the Dominican food culture. Germán stressed the importance that the knowledge and practices in the tradition of this food be valued and included in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
German valued that this food has survived from generation to generation without change in its production methods and and represents an important element of what the inhabitants of the Caribbean region were and are.
Germán also stressed the importance of cassava as the staple food of the communities living in the Antilles and the Amazon jungle. The food is still prepared and consumed today.
“In the particular case of my country, the Dominican Republic, there is an artisan industry around cassava that unites families, and several women’s and single mothers’ associations survive thanks to this tradition,” said the minister.
The Minister of Culture handed over the candidacy file to Fermin Matoko, Deputy Assistant Director-General of UNESCO’s Priority Africa and External Relations Department, in the company of Venezuela’s Minister of Culture, Ernesto Villegas; Cuba’s Deputy Minister of Culture, Kenelma Carvajal; Haiti’s Ambassador to UNESCO, Dominique Dupuy; and Carlos Maradiaga Melara, Chargé d’Affaires, Permanent Delegate of Honduras to UNESCO.
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Ministry of Culture
UNESCO lists
3 April 2023