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Belarus to seek UNESCO heritage status for its grated potato dishes

An archive photo

MINSK, 5 March (BelTA) – The Presidium of the Council of Ministers of Belarus has identified a national culinary tradition that could join the UNESCO cultural heritage lists, the government’s press service told BelTA.

The historical and cultural value “Grated Potato Dishes: Traditions of Cooking and Consumption in Belarus” has been proposed for inclusion in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The traditions of preparing dishes from grated potatoes (primarily draniki, potato pancakes and babka) have long become a gastronomic brand of Belarus, represented in all six regions, and have been included in the State List of Historical and Cultural Values of Belarus since 2022 (the registry includes over 370 tradition-keepers from 73 districts and 235 folk recipes for dishes made from grated potatoes).

The Belarusian Ministry of Culture will send the proposal to UNESCO by the end of March 2026.

The government noted that this will help expand information about Belarus as a country where national cultural traditions are preserved, as well as increase the country’s tourist appeal and develop gastronomic tourism.

To date, the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage lists include seven Belarusian elements.

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