Heritage: the bouillabaisse classified as intangible heritage by Unesco?

The beauty of the place lends itself easily to the event. Sausset-les-Pins (Bouches-du-Rhône), “The Blue Calanque”. That day in the kitchens, there is excitement around a dish that smells of the Mediterranean. “The secret of bouillabaisse is not a meal, it’s really a family moment”, says Thibaud Boutin, chef at “La Calanque Bleue”. But today, it’s in the room that everything is played out. Around the table, a few renowned Marseille chefs.

Chefs, fishermen, tableware

The ambassador of French gastronomy listens, before distilling his advice. “What will be recognized by Unesco is the recognized know-how of this dish (…) which creates a link between peoples”, says Guillaume Gomez. This candidacy is no small feat. Because if the enthusiasm of Marseille is there, obtaining recognition as intangible heritage by Unesco is a real obstacle course. “It will be necessary to make work of course the chefs, but also the fishermen, the arts of the table. There is a whole ceremonial around the bouillabaisse which is important”underlines Guillaume Gomez.