December 7, 2024 02:00 IST
First published: December 7, 2024 at 02:00 IST
There is a Japanese proverb that roughly translates to “A parent’s word and cold sake have an effect later.” The first may indeed be true but the second not so much. For a drink that dates back to the 8th century and speaks to Japan’s historical and cultural identity – it even finds a brief mention in the 3rd century Chinese text, The Book of Wei, as a favorite funerary drink of the Japanese people. – The hood needs a little revision. Now, with UNESCO placing it on the list of “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”, the moment seems to have arrived for the globalization of Brazilian white cheese, Caribbean cassava bread and Palestinian olive oil soap, nihonsu or Japanese alcohol.
Unlike Serbian sljivovica — plum brandy — or Georgian qvevri, a recent addition to the intangible heritage list for which subsequent promotion has become essential for commerce, sake has followed its own path. Its growing popularity abroad means striking a precarious balance between maintaining authenticity and catering to a global palate. In Japan, however, the influx of international spirits, particularly alcohol, has led to a decline in sake consumption. The UNESCO honor comes as an opportunity for domestic revival.
As food continues to transcend geographical boundaries, it also points to the importance of preserving cultural traditions in a world intent on homogeneity. Like washoku, the traditional Japanese cuisine that made it onto UNESCO’s list in 2013, sake preparation also speaks to Japan’s deep connection to nature and craftsmanship. A complex process involving rice, water, yeast and koji mold, there was a time when sake was made only by women. Its centrality to Japanese rituals, festivals and celebrations meant that it quickly became an industry embedded in the community. Loneliness is an epidemic and where “hikikomori” or voluntary isolation has become a practice, anything that brings a community together, whether drinking sake or raising a toast, should be shouted down.