Why is Italian cuisine known as the mother cuisine?

I believe it's because Italians kept their tradition alive. There are no other cuisines which has so ancient traditions. The history of Italian food shows also Italian customs through times.

It's known when spaghetti was first done (in Naples) and how pasta was invented (it was like bread with no yeast); how many other cuisines know the origins of their main dishes?

Ana Maria da Costa

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I've never heard of Italian cooking being the "Mother cuisine". Old it may certainly be but there are older. I have heard of a style of Italian cooking which is traditional and homely, much appreciated by Italians all over the world called "la cucina di mama " which sounds like the mother cuisine but simply means "mom's cooking " or otherwise home cooking.