The Ministry of Culture informs that "the Know-how and traditional practices related to the production and consumption of Cassava" were the subject of a multinational inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Wednesday, December 4th, 2024, during the 19th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, held in Asunción, Paraguay.

The Ministry emphasizes that this inscription is the result of cooperation between Cuba, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and Haiti.

It should be remembered that Cassava is a flatbread made from cassava, a tuber that is widespread in these four countries and is rich in carbohydrates and fiber. Varied in size and thickness, it is made from a bitter or sweet variety. It is integrated into meals and can be eaten alone.

The Permanent Delegation of Haiti to UNESCO is delighted, on behalf of the Haitian Government and people. This is the first multinational inscription involving Haiti and the second element of Haitian cultural heritage to be included in this prestigious UNESCO list after the giraumon soup https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35500-haiti-culture-the-soup-joumou-on-the-list-of-intangible-cultural-heritage-of-humanity.html

A legacy of the Arawaks/Tainos, the first inhabitants of Haiti, bequeathed to our African ancestors, Cassave, consumed today in all four corners of the country, is becoming a true culinary tradition. Whether it is sweet in the North, spicy in the bobori of Grande Anse, fine in Saint Marc, Cassave has nourished the Haitian people since the founding of the Nation and perpetuates a set of ancestral agricultural and industrial know-how.

Beyond its gastronomic qualities, Cassave is a powerful symbol of resistance. It reflects the struggle of indigenous peoples and descendants of slaves from Africa against the oppression of colonialism. As a product from Amerindian traditions, it embodies the survival of a heritage that has resisted colonial forces.

The Permanent Delegation of Haiti joins its voice with that of the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to thank the National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO, the UNESCO Chair in History and Heritage of the University of Etal d’Haïti (UEM), the National Bureau of Ethnology (BNE). The students and researchers of the UEH who carried out the inventories, the photographers and videographers who contributed to the assembly of the file, the experts who ensured the writing of the technical sheet and its translation, as well as all the associations and popular organizations that supported this process.

HL/ HaitiLibre