U.N. Agency Designates Mexican Food A Cultural Treasure

MEXICO CITY • Maligned as unhealthy and misunderstood in its complexity, Mexican cuisine is finally getting its due.

It's now considered an intangible cultural heritage of humanity, elevated along with French cuisine this week at a meeting of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO.

The designation elated culinary experts, who say that diners sometimes fail to appreciate the richness of a cuisine with vast regional variation and use of aromatic herbs and plants, nothing like the cheesy nachos and brittle tacos many Americans eat at restaurants.

Mexico's Foreign Affairs website said Wednesday that the designation provides "global recognition to our cuisine as one of the most important in the world."

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