ALL
fermentation
ICH Elements 16
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Kimjang, making and sharing kimchi in the Republic of Korea
Inscribed in 2013 (8.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity As the temperature falls in late autumn, the topic of choice for most Koreans is kimjang, making a large quantity of kimchi to sustain them through the country’s long and harsh winter. Kimchi, a categorical name for Korean-style preserved vegetables seasoned with local spices and fermented seafood, was recorded as part of Korean diet as early as 760 years ago. Kimchi has been an essential part of Korean meal across class and regional differences. The most humble meal consists of cooked rice and kimchi, but even the most luxurious banquet is not complete without kimchi. Kimjang incorporates Koreans' understanding of their natural environment, and closely reflects their regional ecosystems. Over time, Koreans have developed methods that best fit their specific natural conditions. Kimjang is thus deeply rooted in the natural milieu of Korean habitats. Preparation for kimjang follows a yearly seasonal cycle. In spring, households secure shrimp, anchovy, and other seafood for salting and fermenting. In summer, they purchase sea salt to be stored for up to two or three years, to let the bitter taste of brine out. In late summer, red chili peppers are dried and ground into powder. In late autumn housewives carefully monitor weather forecasts to determine the optimal date for kimjang: it is important to choose the right temperature for the kimchi to acquire the best taste through storing it in cool and stable conditions. In the custom of exchanging kimchi among households after kimjang, innovative skills and creative ideas are shared and accumulated.
South Korea 2013 -
Traditional knowledge related to making of dairy products (airan, suzmo, kurut, ezhigey, melted butter)
Kyrgyz people usually fermented dairy products. It can explained by the fact that fermented dairy products was the best way to preserve and consume milk. Main fermented cow dairy products are: ‘airan’ -yoghurt like product, which is fermented 5-6 hours; ‘suzmo’ which is prepared by adding some salt into airan. Suzmo also serves as a main ingredient for other dairy product such as ‘kurut’ (dried balls, made out of suzmo). Kurut used to be a snack in almost every household and has various types as ‘chii kurut’ or ‘mai kurut’. ‘Ezhigey’ is also one of the popular dairy products, which is particularly a cheese, made of sheep milk. Melted butter is prepared by boiling "kaymak" (fatty sour cream)
Kyrgyzstan -
Making of Suun Khuruud (Oblong fritter)
Mongolian people ferment clotted milk from cow, ewe and nanny goat and distil the milk-vodka. The cheese curds are separated from the whey in gauze sack. The separated cheese curds are called aarts. These cheese curds are squeezed in square and sliced into oblong flitters by wire and dried out on the rack. These are called as Suun khuruud (oblong fritters), and the can be kept for a long time. These are dainties not only for young people, but also for old people by their taste and nourishment.
Mongolia -
Mare milking ceremony
This is the ceremony of labor, which happened when the baby foal grown well and enough milk comes as a result of the good weather. In other words, this is the ceremony that symbolize the growing of horse and animals and having much more airag (fermented mare’s milk). There is a custom to celebrate the occasion of fermenting mare’s milk with a feast, which is held within three days of the tethering. The ceremony is celebrated for the means of summoning prosperity to receive plenty of growth of horse herd, the abundance of airag (fermented mare’s milk) and other dairy products and blessing the newborn animals. During the ceremony the proceedings of tethering the foals, milking the mares, ritual of milk libation, recitation of milk libation and anointment, and sharing the ceremonial mutton and mare milking feast are carried out alternately.
Mongolia -
Jang Damgeugi (Korean Sauce and Paste Making)
National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea This element encompasses the entire process of making Korean sauces and pastes out of soybeans, including preparing the necessary ingredients, making the sauce, and fermenting it. It is known that soybean-based sauces and pastes have been made in Korea since at least the Three Kingdoms period. During the Joseon Dynasty, there was a designated place to store sauces and pastes for the royal family, and a court woman assigned to their management. This indicates how traditionally important sauces and pastes have been in Korean culinary culture. The Korean practice of sauce and paste making—spanning the steps including growing soybeans, making bricks of fermented soybeans (meju), soaking the crushed meju in brine, and fermenting it—is distinguished from soybean-based sauce-making traditions in China and Japan. Characteristics unique to the Korean practice include producing two types of sauce from the soybean base: The crushed meju soaked in brine is fermented and then separated into a solid (doenjang, or soybean paste) and a liquid (ganjang, or soybean sauce). In addition, soybean sauce from the previous year would be added to the brined meju to deepen the flavor. The sauce and paste making tradition has been designated as National Intangible Cultural Heritage for its time-honored history, potential for advancing studies of cooking methods and culinary culture, and close associations with Korea's housing culture, seasonal customs, folk beliefs, and traditional science. Active inter-generational transmission and nationwide participation is another important factor contributing to its heritage value. * As sauce and paste making is being actively practiced across the nation, no particular holder or holder groups have been recognized for this element.
South Korea -
Pha-ak (Sour Fermented Fish)
" Pha-ak " is a popular traditional which is very tasty and can be stored for a long time. There are many types of Pha-ak, such as fish Pha-ak, shrimp Pha-ak, krem Pha-ak and some vegetable Pha-ak, such as chinese turnip Pha-ak, cucumber Pha-ak or bamboo shoots Pha-ak. But here is only the fish Pha-ak is chosen to describe here. It can be made into many kinds of food, such as steamed Pha-ak, fried Pha-ak, chopped Pha-ak or grilled Pha-ak. As for the soup, it is cooked with Sngor Pha-ak with wax gourd, luffa gourd and so on. The Pha-ak making season coincides with prahok, from the month of Bos, Luna calendar, to the month of Phalkun or Chet. When prahok is made, some people also make additional Pha-ak for eating during the dry season, when food is scarce, and during the harvest season. There is also a step-by-step process of making similar to prahok. Ingredients for making Pha-ak include fish, salt, fermented black sticky rice, and sugar. Choosing fish to make Pha-ak is different from choosing fish to make prahok. They need fresh fish, usually large fish. First, wash the fish with clean water and leave it to dry. Then remove the scale, the abdomen, the tail and fins. The fish must be cleaned thoroughly because the fish will be clean as many times as prahok. If there is water on the fish skin, Pha-ak will be spoiled. The cleaned fish is placed in a metal bowl, sprinkled with salt, and the fish is squeezed with salt. Jars for fermentation must be washed and dried. Salt is sprinkled on the bottom part of the jar, and the salted fish is stacked in layers and pressed tightly. After stacking, they sprinkle some more salt on top and take a piece of bamboo to snap on top, then take a cloth to cover the mouth of the jar to prevent air or flies from laying eggs. They have to leave it for one to two and a half months to get rid of the bad smell, and then they take it out to “Chav”. The method is to take the water from the fish Pha-ak, mix it with palm sugar and fermented black sticky rice, and mix it with the fish. If the fish Pha-ak weighs 10 kg, 1.5 kg of sugar is added and 1.5 kg of fermented black sticky rice. After Chav, they are left for another 20 days or a month so that Pha-ak does not smell bad and can be used for cooking.
Cambodia -
Prahok (Fermented Fish)
"Prahok" is an essential reserve food for Cambodian farmers in rural areas because it is a kind of fermented food that can be stored for a long time. There are many Khmer dishes that use prahok as an indispensable ingredient, such as Kor Ko and Teuk Kreoung. Apart from being an ingredient, Prahok can also be made into a separate dish, by adding some ingredients to your liking, such as grilled Prahok, Prahok Ktis, Prahok Kreoung, raw Prahok, sour prahok, etc. Making prahok for ready-to-eat food has been a tradition for a long time. Most of the villagers, especially the residents living near the rivers, canals and lakes, during the low water season, which is the rich fish season, that is, from the month of Bos to the month of Phalkun or the month of Chet, they often travel by cart to the river to do fishing or buy fish to make Prahok. Therefore, there is rarely a family that does not make prahok, although some people are short of money, they try to make Prahok as much as they can afford; while some even borrow money from others to make Prahok. Some locals buy fish to make at home, while others stay by the river until the Prahok is ready before returning home. Not only Prahok makers but also fishermen have to stay there to fish day and night as it is a lucrative opportunity. Therefore, as long as it is the season for Prahok fishing, they often see many shelters along the river. Most of the fish used to make Prahok are small fish, such as Riel fish or Lihn fish. But some rich people also use big fish like Ros fish, Chdor fish, Kha Ek fish, Sorn Dai fish ... to make Prahok. It is a kind of meat Prahok (boneless Prahok) that is delicious and expensive. There are only two main ingredients for Prahok: fish and salt. First, the fish has scraped off the scale, the head is cut off, the abdomen is removed, and then the fish is placed in a Jeal or Kom Broang or jar. Prahok makers will step on it with their bare feet to remove the scale fish and fish oil in a nearby river or stream. Cleaning by stepping on it is an important step because if the fish oil is not completely removed, Prahok will smell bad and be unable to eat. Therefore, the washing process must be done several times until the fish is white. This cleaning requires a lot of water and this is also the reason for those who make a lot of prahok to stay by the river to easily wash the prahok. After washing, the fish are extracted and placed in a bamboo basket with small cells to keep the fish dry. When the fish is dry, the fish is salted. Spilling salt is not done all at once, it is done three times. First fermentation leaves it overnight to harden the fish. The next day, they put the fish under the sun for two hours. Then it is salted for the second time and then left to soak for 4-5 days, then it is salted for the third time and stuffed into a jar or jar using Ang Re, pestle. In order to make the Prahok stuffy and not cracked, you have to take a bamboo stick and snap it on top and pour salt water in. It is usually stored for 5-6 months before the Prahok tastes good and smells good. For the sellers, they shorten the storing period to 1-2 months old, which is caused the Prahok smells stinky and doesn’t taste good when it is cooked. When we take Prahok from the jar to eat, we have to press it back and sprinkle more salt on it so that it does not absorb air. Properly made Prahok can usually be stored for up to 4 or 5 years.
Cambodia -
Lum medicinal bathing of Sowa Rigpa, knowledge and practices concerning life, health and illness prevention and treatment among the Tibetan people in China
The Lum Medicinal Bathing of Sowa Rigpa (Tibetan Medicine) has been developed by the Tibetan people within a life view based on Jungwa-nga (five elements) – i.e., Sa (earth), Chu (water), Me (fire), Lung (wind) and Namkha (space) – and a view about health and illness based on Nyepa-sum (three dynamics) – i.e., Lung, Tripa and Pekan. In Tibetan, “Lum” indicates the traditional knowledge and practices of bathing in natural hot springs, herbal water or steam to adjust the balance of mind and body, to ensure health and treat illnesses. Influenced by the Bon religion and Tibetan Buddhism, Lum embodies folk experiences in illness prevention and treatment, and reflects the transmission and development of traditional knowledge represented by the treatise Gyud zhi (the Four Tantras) in present-day health practice. Lum is practiced under the guidance of a Manpa (traditional physician) in two ways. One is bathing in Five Types of Hot Springs containing different minerals. The other, bathing with Five Medicinal Nectars, includes three methods: immersion, steam-bathing and applications with sachets. In this process, Manpa, in collaboration with Lum Jorkhan (pharmacist) and Manyok (Lum assistant), conducts symptom differentiation based on observation, questions and pulse palpation. Then preparation of medicines includes herb compound, boiling, fermentation and addition of extra herbs. The element has been transmitted over generations through daily life, religious rituals, folkloric activities and medical practices on account of its safety and accessibility. While providing Tibetans with a sense of identity and continuity, the element reflects cultural diversity and human creativity.
China 2018 -
Traditional Fijian Bread - Madrainiviti
The word ‘madrai’ is an old fijian terminology refereing to a traditional food with its unique process, prepared at particular seasons, and certain parts of Fiji regard it as traditonal obligations. The vanua Nabulebulewa at Qoma island Fiji are fisherfolks, and part of their traditional role is the presentation of turtle accomapnied with a basket of madrainiviti. Sailasa Naisele of Qoma mentioned the word ‘madrã’ is a verb, meaning to pinch out madrainiviti from the davuke (food pit) while leaving the rest for later. Traditional fermented bread in Fiji has significantly declined over the years. This is different from the bread also called madrai which is baked and sold nowadays. Before the introduction of wheat bread, our forefathers were already enjoying their traditional bread. Upon its arrival and its wide consumption, the wheat bread now adopts the name madrai while the traditional bread has extended its name into madrainiviti. Fermanted fruits and crops are preserved food for post-disasters and food sacristy (Dau, 1986), also for drought and can be preserved up to 4 years (Pollock, 1984). Bread fermentation varies in Fiji. Bila (fermentaed cassava) and sikiviro (fermented Tahitian chestnuts) are commonly practiced for commercial purpose nowadays.
Fiji -
Gyeongju gyodong beopju(Brewed wine made by Mr. choi's house)
National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea This is liquor made by the Choe Clan, a traditionally prestigious and influential family in Gyo-dong, Gyeongju. Choe Guk-jun was the first person to make it. He is said to have served as an official at Saongwon (Palace Kitchen Management) during the reign of King Sukjong (1674 – 1720). The liquor is made with the water drawn from the well within house of the family. It is said that the well never runs dry, the water has a good taste, and its temperature always remains unchanged. The water is boiled and then cooled. The cooled water, locally produced glutinous rice, and malt are mixed to make the liquor, which is transparent pale yellow in color. It has its own unique flavor and tastes sweet and a little sour. Its alcohol level is 32-36 proof. Crude liquor is made first, then Gyeongju Beopju is made through fermentation of this crude liquor. The process takes about 100 days and the liquor can be stored for more than a year if the temperature is maintained.
South Korea -
Makgeolli Bitgi(Makgeolli making and sharing)
National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea Makgeolli is a traditional Korean alcoholic beverage made from rice or other grains that is purported to date back to the introduction of farming on the Korean Peninsula. Terms purported to denote this milky and lightly effervescent rice wine are included in literary compilations from the Goryeo Dynasty. Cookbooks from the Joseon period such as Gyuhap chongseo and Eumsik dimibang offer detailed recipes for makgeolli. Joseon-era novels contain mentions of the drink as well. Makgeolli can be made easily and at low cost simply with rice, water, and the fermentation starter nuruk. Its simplicity and affordability have made the milky rice wine widely available, leading it to become deeply engrained in the everyday lives of the Korean people. Makgeolli quenched the thirst of farmers throughout the working season. Korean farm laborers used to say, "If it all pays the same, I'd rather offer a hand to the farmhouse serving the most delicious makgeolli." Makgeolli was also an indispensable element in ritual ceremonies and celebrations or mourning. Many traditions featuring makgeolli as a ritual drink have been transmitted to the present. The milky rice wine is still presented as an offering in diverse modern ceremonies commemorating, for example, the completion of a building, purchase of a new car, or opening of shops. A popular drink widely consumed nationwide, makgeolli was one of the fermented foods made by individual households up to the end of the Joseon era. Along with other definitive Korean fermented foods such as kimchi and soybean-based sauces, makgeolli was brewed in individual households, meaning a distinctive taste could be passed down in each one. Starting in the 20th century, makgeolli production gradually switched to commercial breweries and the ingredients underwent a natural course of change. Makgeolli has evolved as it adapted to sociocultural conditions. The popularity of this traditional Korean rice wine has surged since 2000. There is also a growing number of people brewing their own these days. (A liquor tax order issued in 1916 under Japanese colonial rule restricted the domestic production of alcoholic drinks. In 1995 home-made alcoholic beverages were legalized again.) The tradition of making and sharing makgeolli has been designated as National Intangible Cultural Heritage for its cultural, historical, social, and academic values. As a form of popular culture, this element has entered the national heritage list without the usual recognition of its holders.
South Korea -
Traditional tea processing techniques and associated social practices in China
The element consists of knowledge, skills, and practices concerning management of tea plantations, picking of tea leaves, manual processing, drinking and sharing of tea. Based on natural conditions and local customs, tea producers have developed six categories of green, yellow, dark, white, oolong and black teas, as well as reprocessed teas like flower-scented teas, which results in over 2,000 tea products. Processing tools are woks, bamboo trays and drying frames, etc. Core skills employed include shaqing (enzyme inactivation), menhuang (yellowing), wodui (piling), weidiao (withering), zuoqing (leaves shaking and cooling), fajiao (oxidation or fermentation) and yinzhi (scenting). All these teas, with their diverse colors, aromas, flavors and shapes, meet different needs of people. Tea is ubiquitous in Chinese people’s daily life. Steeped or boiled tea is served in families, workplaces, tea houses, restaurants, temples, etc. and applied as an important media for communication in socializing and ceremonies such as wedding, apprentice-taking and sacrificing. Practices of greeting guests with tea and building good relationships within family and among neighborhood through tea-related activities are shared among multiple ethnic groups, and provide a sense of identity and continuity for communities, groups and individuals concerned. During the transmission, the element has nurtured systematic knowledge, extensive social practices, proven traditional skills and abundant handiwork. It reflects Chinese people’s values of modesty, harmony, comity and respect, and has profound influence on moral cultivation and personality shaping. It also facilitates exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations through the Silk Roads, hence playing a significant role in sustainable social development.
China 2022