Why is Italian cuisine known as the "mother cuisine"? :)

Cherry in Spirit

Italian cuisine was the first fully developed cuisine in Europe - that's why! :) I believe it's also because Italians are keeping their tradition alive: from ingredients they use, techniques to eating habits. Fun fact - today it's super hard to imagine cooking without tomato, but till 1554 in Europe wasn't used at all - until Italians imported it. I've read somewhere that the Medici family mastered the art of making modern pastry and desserts in the XVI century!