These days, every city believes their food scene is special and unique. Tucson is no different – they champion the vibrant, chef-focused cuisine (featuring two James Beard Award winners) downtown, the wide variety of international spots, and their incredible Mexican food. However, what makes one city’s food more notable than another? Notice from national magazines? Accolades from bloggers? Tucson has those too, but now, they also have recognition from UNESCO.

There are only 116 Member Cities of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) Creative Cities program – established in 2004 to promote cooperation between cities for “sustainable urban development” – and on December 11, 2015, Tucson became one of six Creative Cities in the United States, and the only one selected for Gastronomy.

Why Tucson? As the city’s press release puts it, they were selected for “their region’s rich agricultural heritage, thriving food traditions, and culinary distinctiveness,” but there’s so much more to both Tucson than that.

Tucson’s agriculture heritage extends back more than 4,000 years as the longest known continuously cultivated area in the North America, a legacy celebrated at Mission Garden, an interpretation of heritage plants and the culinary history of Southern Arizona. Tucson also has an incredibly unique mix of cultural influences reflected in their food, from the Sonoran hot dog’s cross-border origin story to historic wheat brought there by Spanish missionaries and the fruit of the prickly pear cactus showing up in their local craft beers.

It’s Tucson chefs teaching children about healthy meals and gardening in the morning and collaborating with local growers at night. UNESCO surely noted how the University of Arizona works on the forefront of agricultural research ready to tell the rest of the world a story about sustainable growing practices and biodiversity in a likely arid future.

Have you heard of Native Seeds/SEARCH, co-founded by MacArthur Genius and conservation scientist Gary Paul Nabham, an organization that works to document and preserve the historic crops of the Southwest? Also, library system offers heirloom seeds that can be “checked out” for your own garden.

It’s Janos Wilder (one of the aforementioned James Beard winners) taking visiting chefs to Southside taco joints while he gets a new demonstration kitchen open to share his immense knowledge of food. Also, make note of fellow James Beard winner Chris Bianco choosing to open his first non-Phoenix restaurant in downtown Tucson, turning down big-check offers elsewhere.

Part of the honor must have been for the fun and delicious annual festivals like Tucson Meet Yourself, Viva La Local, Agave Fest and the Tamal Heritage Festival. Give credit also to Tucson’s surprising farmers’ markets and the resort chefs who shop there.

The UNESCO honor isn’t the end of their story, it’s the beginning of great collaborations and new ideas. It’s about Tucson’s agricultural past and culinary future.