Italy has put forward the Neapolitan pizza as a candidate for inclusion in UNESCO'S cultural heritage list for next year.

It voted unanimously to protect the Neapolitan pizza as part of the country's cultural and gastronomic tradition, the national commission for UNESCO said in a statement.

If UNESCO accepts the bid, it will win a place on the world body's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as The Traditional Art of Neapolitan Pizza Makers.

Traditional Neapolitan Pizza has a relatively thin crust — with the exception of the rim, which bloats like a tiny bicycle tyre when baked.

It is religiously made in a wood-burning brick oven and has two classic versions: Marinara (tomato, garlic, oregano and oil) and the most famous, Margherita (tomato, mozzarella, oil and basil).

According to tradition, the Pizza Margherita was created in 1889 by a local chef in honour of Queen Margherita, who was visiting the city.

It has the red, white and green colours of the Italian flag.

Food culture already on the UNESCO list includes Turkish coffee culture and tradition, Gingerbread craft from northern Croatia and the traditional ancient Georgian method of Qvevri wine-making.

Reuters