The home of fine dining and wining

The French gastronomic meal has become the first ever food-related social practice to join the Unesco heritage list.

Two years after applying for this exceptional status, the French way of eating has finally been listed as "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity" by Unesco.

Jean-Robert Pitte, president of the team driving the application, said: "For the first time, a cuisine is judged worthy by Unesco to feature among the great creations of human genius."

It was decided that the meal played an active part in the French community, strengthening relations between people and being transmitted as part of the French identity down the generations.

Selecting and purchasing products were crucial elements, as was the respect of the meal’s fixed structure, starting with aperitifs, featuring at least four courses and ending with the digestifs.

Other traditions that joined the list included Spanish human towers, a Turkish oil wrestling festival and gingerbread baking in Croatia.