In Some Trattorias in Italy, Diners Can Enjoy a Meal and Take the Plate It Was Served on Home as a Souvenir

Lasagna, pizza margherita, tiramisu: Italian cuisine is lauded around the world. Just last year, UNESCO recognized Italian cooking as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity. While individual foods like the French baguette, Haitian soup joumou and Uzbek plov were already included in this list, it was the first time in history an entire cuisine was given this distinction.

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called her country’s cuisine a “formidable ambassador” at a press conference where the accolade was announced. It means combining our history and our future, passing down ancient knowledge and constantly turning it into something new,” said Meloni. Step inside any traditional trattoria in Northern Italy or on the Italian Riviera and you will find yourself immersed in centuries-old customs and historical recipes passed down through generations.

First conceived in the Middle Ages, and akin to a tavern, the trattoria was a place to eat common foods often cooked by grandmothers. It may sound like a scene out of a movie like Nonnas, or something fabricated for tourists, but the casual, family-run eateries offer a way of dining like a true Italian. It’s not just a place to eat but also a place for tradition and memorable encounters—all of which are deeply rooted in our history,” says Alberto Cauzzi, food editor for Forbes Italia.

While many travelers and foodies have enjoyed a meal at a trattoria, few know about a custom called Piatti del Buon Ricordo that was conceived in the 1960s to promote trattorias nationally and worldwide. Loosely translated, the phrase means “plates of good memories.” In participating trattorias, diners who order the signature dish can take their plate—a hand-painted ceramic collectible—home as a souvenir. A dozen restaurants participated in the promotion at the start.

The movement grew to include more than 130, and, today, 111 authentic trattorias still promote regional cuisine in this special way. Vintage plates draw interest worldwide, with collectors searching thrift stores and spotting the ceramics at notable design fairs in Italy—reviving interest in the hobby itinerant eaters once obsessed over. Versace, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo are famous names linked to promoting Italian culture, but not many will know the name Dino Villani.

He was a businessman with a knack for finding trends and marketing them. He was the mastermind behind some unforgettable cultural touchstones in 20th century Italy, such as the “5,000 lire for a smile” contest. The 1939 marketing campaign for a toothpaste from the Gi.Vi.Emme beauty company invited people to submit photographs of themselves smiling and led to the Miss Italia pageant in 1946.