The Japanese alcoholic rice drink sake has been recognized as a cultural heritage of humanity.
The Guardian writes about it.
Sake is enjoyed at local izakayas, poured at weddings and served slightly chilled for special events. The Japanese have been drinking it since the 8th century, believing that the drink drives away evil spirits.
The main ingredients are few — rice, water, yeast and a special koji fungus for fermentation. The production of sake is more like the process of making beer than vodka, but the result is a high-grade drink. Not only the drink itself, but also the tradition of its preparation were included in the intangible cultural heritage.
In recent years, the demand for sake in Japan has been steadily declining: it is perceived only as part of ceremonies or special feasts. So Japanese officials hope that the recognition of sake will popularize the drink, and local youth will choose it over wine, whiskey or beer.
The Prime Minister of Japan Shigeru Ishiba said that he was "delighted" by the world recognition of the traditional preparation of sake. He congratulated those who are dedicated to preserving and popularizing the tradition.
- UNESCO began to include national dishes in the list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity in 2010. Now it has hundreds of dishes. Not only the food itself, but also the traditions of its preparation, which are important for one or another people, and the transmission of recipes from generation to generation, are recognized as cultural heritage.
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