At a meeting of the UNESCO Committee on Intangible Cultural Heritage held in Paraguay, the tradition of making Japanese sake was officially included in the list of cultural heritage of humanity. As informs Reuters, the Japanese delegation celebrated the occasion with a sake tasting held in traditional national dress.
Sake is made from rice, water, yeast and special koji moss. Although the production process is more like brewing, the result is a high-quality drink that can be served cold, hot or at room temperature.
In Japan, the popularity of sake has declined in recent years, as it is mostly consumed during religious or festive ceremonies. Japanese representatives at UNESCO hope that the designation of sake as a cultural heritage of humanity will help revive interest in this traditional drink both in Japan and beyond.
UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List was created to draw attention to the importance of preserving cultural traditions, customs and practices that are passed down from generation to generation. Currently, this list includes 676 elements of intangible cultural heritage represented by 140 countries of the world.
