Japanese traditional cuisine is added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2015.
4 resons why Japanese cuisine, Washoku),chosen as UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Well-balanced and healthy diet
Washoku composes of rice, moso soup, fish, vegetables and pickels.Japanese cuisine cannot be made without fermented condiments.Miso (miso soup) and vegetable pickels are fermanted food.
Healthy foods contibute to long life.
It is quite often said people form other countries stayed in Japane for a while, they success losing weight with no struggle.
Importance of the natural flavors
Japanese don’t use many seasonings. Japanese three main ingrerdients are Sake, Mirin(sweetened sake), Soy sauce, and Soy bean paste (Miso).
We think it of importance on the basic taste of food itself with little flavor added in order to bring out the natural flavors.
Good example is Sashimi. it is very simple cuisune, however, we enjoy texture of fresh low fish with only soysauce.
Associated with an essential spirit of respect for nature
Soup stock made from dried bonito or kelp are essential to bring out original natural taste of food.
Thouse soup from nature food taste very subtle and light, which enable taste and flavor remain.
Strong conccection to annual events
We have so many annual events foods which have conncection to nature.
New Year’s day
Each of foods in special box are named in hopes of the families health and prosperity.For example, herring egg, which symbolizes a wish to be gifted with numerous children.
Shrimps are symbolize a wish for longgevity.
Viewing the moon day (August 15)
In Japan, people decorate with silver grasses and offer rice dumpling cakes to the moon in appreciation for the harvest of grains. Silver grasses are symplic charm against the devil and can house a Shinto God.