The tradition of sake production in Japan is included in the UNESCO heritage list: how to drink it correctly

Sake is perhaps a greater symbol of Japan than the world-famous sushi. It is brewed according to ancient recipes, bottled at weddings and exported all over the world. The delicate rice wine, central to Japan’s culinary traditions and a favorite drink of celebrities such as Cate Blanchett, has now been protected by UNESCO, which has listed it as an “intangible cultural heritage of humanity”. Reuters writes about it.

Members of UNESCO’s Committee for the Safeguarding of the Cultural Heritage of Humanity voted to recognize 45 cultural practices and products from around the world, including Brazilian feta, Caribbean cassava bread and sake, at a meeting in Luca, Paraguay.

Unlike the UNESCO World Heritage List, which includes places deemed important to humanity, such as the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, the Intangible Cultural Heritage list includes products and practices from different cultures that deserve recognition.

The Japanese delegation welcomed the decision by drinking sake from a traditional cypress cup.

“Sake is considered a divine gift and is important for social and cultural events in Japan,” said Takehiro Kano, Japan’s ambassador to UNESCO.

History of Sake

The Japanese have been drinking since about the eighth century. At that time, sake was believed to ward off evil spirits.

Sake’s main ingredients are few: rice, water, yeast, and koji, a rice mold that breaks down starches into fermentable sugars, similar to how malting occurs in beer production. The entire two-month process of steaming, mixing, fermenting and pressing can be arduous.

It is noteworthy that although I call sake rice wine or rice vodka, it is neither one nor the other. The production process is more reminiscent of sherry, but unique in its own way.

For example, for a product to be classified as Japanese sake or sake, the rice must be Japanese.

The Japanese delegation noted that UNESCO recognition affects more than just the craft knowledge of making high-quality sake. It was also a tribute to a tradition dating back nearly 1,000 years; sake makes a cameo appearance as the beverage of choice of the elegant Heian court in the famous 11th-century Japanese novel The Tale of Genji.

Now officials hope to restore sake’s image as Japan’s leading spirit as the country’s younger consumers turn to imported wine or domestic beer and whiskey.

How to drink sake correctly?

Sake can be served chilled, heated, or at room temperature. While some types, such as ginjo, are preferred chilled, junmai is usually drunk at room temperature or heated.

Slightly chilled sake is a favorite spring beverage, often enjoyed at hanami parties under the cherry blossoms.

The traditional sake set consists of a serving jug called tokkuri and small personal cups called ochoko.

Since the main vessels used for sake in the past were masu, most were designed to contain a standard 180ml serving called go. Many bars and restaurants will expect you to order sake based on the number of times you go. Ichi-go and ni-go are one and two servings respectively. Standard sake bottles are 720ml and are known as yongobin.

If you’re drinking sake with friends or co-workers, never pour it yourself. In Japanese culture, it is a tradition for diners to spill each other’s food. When someone pours you sake, it is polite to lift the glass slightly towards them. After the sake is poured, it is customary to raise your shot glasses for a toast. It is traditionally pronounced as “Kanpai” (for health). Say this by gently touching the sake cups together before taking your first sip.

types of sake

There are various types of sake, classified according to ingredients, production methods, and degree of polishing of the rice.

• Honjozo means the rice is polished to 70 percent, meaning 30 percent of the grain has been removed.
• Ginjo is made from rice that has been polished to 60% or less and slowly fermented at low temperatures.
• Ginjo whose grains are 50% or less polished is called daiginjo.
• Junmai is a type of sake made without brewing alcohol, using only rice, water, yeast and rice malt.

Other types of sake include namazake, which is unpasteurized sake; nigorizake (or simply nigori), sake is filtered through a coarse cloth to obtain a cloudy drink with a creamy taste; and siboritate, which comes without aging directly from the brewery.

It’s important to note that in Japanese, “sake” actually means alcohol in general, while rice drink is specifically called nihonshu.

Most types of sake contain around 15 percent alcohol, which is higher than most other fermented beverages such as beer or wine, but lower than most distilled spirits.

sake cocktails

Although many people love drinking sake, sake cocktails have become quite trendy. Saketini is particularly popular for its simplicity. The original uses vodka, but you can replace it with gin. You can also add some dry vermouth.

Saketini

Contents:

• 45ml sake
• 45ml vodka
• 1 slice of cucumber (to garnish)

Pour ice, sake and vodka into mixing glass. Stir gently and strain into a prepared glass. Before serving, carefully place a thin slice of fresh cucumber on the surface of the saket.

Let us remind you that UNESCO recognizes Thai tom yum kung soup as a world cultural heritage. Popular in Thailand and Laos, this traditional dish has become a hallmark of Thai cuisine.