Turkish coffee culture and tradition goes back to the 16th century when coffee started to be served at coffeehouses in Istanbul. The tradition has two distinguished aspects which make its taste unique and provide means toward socialization. As a beverage Turkish coffee carries special preparation and brewing techniques. It is one of the oldest coffee making methods still in use. The traditional techniques used in preparing coffee led to development of special tools and silverware such as like the boiling pot (cezve), coffee cup (fincan), mortars which have artistic value. Turkish Coffee leaves a long lasting taste at someone’s palate due to its preparation techniques which require time and its freshness. It is softer, more aromatic and more concentrated than other types of coffee. It is easy to distinguish from other coffees with its aroma, ground and foam peculiar to it. Turkish Coffee is not only a beverage but also a communal practice that brings together cultural spaces, social values and beliefs within a context of socialization process. Its role socialization can be traced back to opening of the first coffeehouses with its noticeable decorations in Istanbul. Coffee houses were then, and still are the places where people drink coffee, converse, share news, read books and socialize. The tradition itself is a symbol of hospitality, friendship, delicacy, and entertainment. All these are reflected in the famous Turkish proverb “the memory of a cup of coffee lasts for forty years.” This saying represents how important and profound coffee is in Turkish culture.

Turkey 2013

Integrating singing, reciting, dancing and martial arts performing, Peking Opera is a comprehensive performing art of traditional opera. In mid 19th Century, having incorporated elements of various opera forms from both northern and southern China, Peking Opera came into being. It was first created by civilians. Its development was then greatly promoted by the royal family, and reached its peak in the capital city of Beijing. Peking Opera is the most widespread and influential among over 300 opera forms in China. Hence it is also called the “National Opera”. Beijing dialect is used in the singing and reciting of Peking Opera where rhyme is of great importance. There is also a strict set of rules and forms of libretto composition. Peking Opera is based on Xipi tune and Erhuang tune. Xipi tune is applied to express passion, joy and ecstasy, whereas Erhuang tune is used to depict sadness and grief. Music (singing) plays a key role in setting the pace of the show, creating a proper atmosphere, shaping the characters, and smoothing the progress of the story. Traditional musical instruments are used in Peking Opera shows, where the drummer plays the role of a conductor and the “Jinghu” player acts as the first violinist in an orchestra. Strings and pipes, such as Jinghu, Yueqin and Sanxian, are known for their tender and melodious sounds, which are called “Wen Yue”, or civilian music. Whereas percussions including Bangu and Daluo make brisk and powerful beats, which are called “Wu Yue”, or military music. Singing and dancing are equally important to the performance of Peking Opera, which is characterized by its formularized and symbolic style. Performers have to follow the established format of movements of hands, eyes, body, and feet. Peking Opera only requires simple stage settings and props, following the principle of abstract presentation of big items (for example houses and walls are not necessary on stage) and specific presentation of small items (tables, chairs, cups and saucers, for instance, are used as props on stage). The exquisite and skilful acting of the performers can also help to unfold a virtual yet vivid stage setting to the audience. The costume and headdress in Peking Opera are flamboyant. The facial make-up is exaggerative and delicate. The lively opera face shows the character’s personality and social identity with concise symbols, colours and patterns, expressing the traditional Chinese aesthetic ideals. The storylines of Peking Opera originate from history, anecdotes and folk legends. About 100 of more than 3,000 Peking Opera shows are still being performed frequently today, such as “The Twin Bliss of Dragon and Phoenix”, “The Tipsy Imperial Concubine”, and “The Orphan of Zhao”. Over the process of its transmission, over 30 schools of Peking Opera with different singing characteristics have been gradually developed. The most famous schools include the Mei School (founded by Mei Lanfang) and the Tan School (created by Tan Xinpei). The Mei School, a performance system named after Mei Lanfang, is regarded as a representative of China’s opera performance systems, and one of the three major opera performance systems of the world. Nowadays, it is mostly the practitioners of professional and amateur troupes who shoulder the mission of passing down Peking Opera. Beijing Peking Opera House, Tianjin Peking Opera House, and Shanghai Peking Opera House play the most significant role in the transmission and development of Peking Opera. Prestigious Peking Opera artists, such as Wang Jinlu, Tan Yuanshou, Mei Baojiu, Li Changchun, Zhao Baoxiu, not only inherit their respective schools in a creative way, but also shoulder the responsibility of training performers of a younger generation. The traditional performing art of Peking Opera is still well received by the public. In Beijing alone it attracts over one million audiences every year. Some Peking Opera fans can not only appreciate it, but also practice it. They are also making a special contribution to the survival and development of Peking Opera. Opera towers and guild halls dedicated to staging Peking Opera shows, such as Huguang Guild Hall in Beijing and Tianchan Yifu Stage in Shanghai, are important cultural venues for relative communities and their “spiritual wonderland”. The major mode of transmission of Peking Opera is to “conduct oral teaching and inspire true understanding of the trainee”. In the past, the master of an opera troupe applied such a method to train his disciples. Even today, this mode is still being extensively used in opera trainings. As an inheritor and practitioner, each Peking Opera performer has to go through a series of rigorous and systematic training at a young age. A trainee will gradually master basic skills including reciting, singing, dancing, and martial arts performing through taking oral instructions from the master, and observing the master’s behaviour. A performing artist of Peking Opera will need to constantly improve his or her artistic attainments through a long-term practice, so as to enrich and solidify the heritage. The representative bearers of Peking Opera typically have mastery of various forms of traditional Chinese culture, such as calligraphy and history, and they are very respected by the public. Peking Opera is unique in its perfect, romantic and abstract way of performing. It is the practitioners’ special expression of their feelings and aesthetic ideals. It is also an important symbol of Chinese cultural identity.

China 2010

Nowadays, almost everyone misunderstands that Chol Mlub, which is a traditional rite of passage for Cambodian women has disappeared, and even the purpose of the ceremony is also somewhat confused, because it is understood that women during rite of passage learn to be housewives, mainly to lighten the skin or whiten the skin, learn female law, learn the five precepts, the eight precepts until the ten precepts and sew embroidery. The fields of housing and education mentioned above belong to women, but that does not mean that woman has to learn while she is in the rite of passage. She can know before or after. The main purpose of the "Rite of Passage" is to be ready to be a man's wife in the future (ready to have a husband). Traditionally, every family always wants their sons and daughters to live as adults with honor in society. For sons to be ordinated as monks to show gratitude towards parents while daughters to enter the rite of passage to show gratitude toward mother. These factors motivate families with daughters to have at least one of their siblings to be in rite of passage. If you make the eldest daughter, youngers daughters will be accompanied, so when they reach puberty too, there is no need to organize a rite of passage, which saves the cost of the family. In fact, parents love and want their children to do the same. With this in mind, some locals still implement and practice rite of passage tradition, even in modern society. According to previous research, the villages and districts that still practice this tradition are in Boeung Preav commune, Sre Ambel commune, Dong Peng commune, Sre Ambel district, Koh Kong province, Tumnup commune, Taing Krasang commune, Batheay district, Kampong Cham province, Kien Sangke commune, Sot Nikum district, Siem Reap province. Rite of passage is women’s most important subject that they have to learn and there are many stages of the rite. The first stage is to prepare themselves for "first menstruation" that will last for 2 to 3 days, a ceremony called "Sen Chhol", will be commemorated to inform the ancestors about the rite of passage of their daughter. The second stage is the period of "Staying in the rite of passage”, women will be obligated to be on a proper diet such as eating vegetarian food, no sunlight exposure as well as other tasks that must be done every day for an average of 1 month, 3 months, 6 months or There are also 9 months. The third stage is "Leaving rite of passage" it is the last stage but there are many more tasks to be completed, the ceremony has to be held similar to a wedding ceremony (one night and two days). The symbolism of the work in the first stage is compared to "sperm" that propel in the mother's womb. Second stage is compared to a baby in the womb ready to be born. Stage 3 is compared to a mother is "having a contraction" waiting for the birth of a baby to come out of the womb. The whole ceremony is quite similar to a wedding; it is somehow called a single wedding or sometimes there is an escort who represent the husband. These are the wedding trials which women have to experience before a real one that take place in the future. The rite of passage that prepare women to get ready to be a wife has a tough discipline than men. Women are secluded in a room whereas men are in pagoda, focusing on the study but they are free to chat or meet people on holy days. The pagoda area for the venerable symbolizes the mother's womb and during a monkhood, men seems to be more relaxed than women, there is sunlight all over the large courtyard, but during rainy season, the monks are not allowed to leave the pagoda. In order to study dharma and other subjects for one year (equal to one Vorsa), which is equivalent to one quarter, the monks rushed to study only dharma (literature). But if monks want to continue to study for many years, they can learn more skills such as lime carpenter, carpenter, and sculptor. After leaving monkhood, they will be able to earn money with their skills and start a family. Beside, studying in pagoda monks also follow a strict diet which they can eat only two meals a day which is morning and noon (fish-meat) and in the evening only tea, milk only. For women, when they are in the rite of passage, they do not leave the room or outside the house, generally speaking, no sun exposure except at night when they shower or use toilet, because a dark sky represents mother’s womb, and the daughter in the rite of passage represents the baby in the mother's womb. That's why they try to keep the baby in the womb out of the sun until it is born. If the mother expose with sun, baby will pre-maturely born, it will definitely be worse for the baby. Strictly speaking, two-course meal like the monks, but a vegetarian dish without meat, such as porridge or rice with salt, soy, cucumber, sesame, ripe coconut, ripe banana, ripe mango, watermelon. Some foods are avoided such as bacon fat or fish sauce. At this point, it is not considered that rite of passage is when women learn to be housewife, because they don’t eat or anything. In fact, a woman knows how to cook before she enters the rite, and so does sewing, embroidering, and sweeping the house, these skills are important for women when they have husbands. The study of the five precepts, the three precepts, or the ten precepts deeply, is not seen at all, that is, only the chanting of the Dharma of worshiping God (Vantea Preah) every morning and evening. Some of the work women do while in the rite of passage are just to get rid of boredom. Others say that they Chol Mlub to exfoliate their skin complexion, because they have not been applied makeup or any powder, only wearing a long sleeves shirt to cover her body and staying in a mosquito net. Wearing a multi-layered shirt is not just for the sake of a bright skin, it represents a baby in a mother's womb covered by a few layers of belly. If women have only one layer of belly, it will affect the baby when the mother eats spicy or hot. Generally speaking, staying in the rite of passage is a way of guiding women during their puberty to get ready to be a wife. They do not have to get married immediately, at least wait two to three years The symbol of leaving the rite of passage is like a mother during a contraction of childbirth delivery, because on the first day of the ritual, the woman is not yet exposed to the sun. Even though she leaves the room in the house but she needs to use an umbrella and still be in mosquito net, waiting for the next task, with the Khmer grandmother as the guard next to the mosquito net. In some villages in Sre Ambel district, Khmer grandmothers who know how to give birth midwives called (Daun Khner) are obliged to monitor the baby's movement by taking care of the mother's womb, such as touching or waiting for the baby to be born. Next important task, an old single man called (Jas Komlos) will dance with a movement of digging (Daun Khner) with a traditional music, which metaphorically means to ease the process of child delivery to be quick. Then, Daun Khner will hold the woman’s hand out of the room to a ceremony hall. This represents a baby who was just born and it will be covered by a piece of while cloth and the body of a baby is compared to the mother’s placenta. At that time, it was old, hot, dancing, digging, digging, Daun Nhe (Daun Khmer) accompanied by the traditional song titled, "Kors Daun Nher". The process of carrying a child by the Khmer grandmother from the room to the ceremony hall on the ground is the process of being born from the surface or out of the abdomen one step at a time with a piece of white cloth as a way or covering the body of the child is like the placenta of Mother. Waiting until a next sunrise, it is assumed that the baby is successfully born. There are many following rituals such as cutting hair, ear piecing, tver tmenh (), which serve as a confirmation the woman is ready for a wifehood. The rite of passage process is almost the same as a wedding, which includes: Krong Peali ritual (Sen Krong Pali), Sen Chong Dai, Bok Lak (game to find Lak). All work is done continuously from the evening until Acha tied the hand of the Cho Mlub child with his sister and cousin to participate in the ceremony (Photo: San Phall, 2016) 1AM, Kors Duan Nher ritual will be done at midnight. On the morning of the second, the child will be accompanied to the ceremony hall to worship the sun, get haircut, do teeth, get ears pierced, reav ang kor reab, porpil rotate and tie hands as a finale. This Chol Mlub tradition plays an important role in educating people in society by showing the process of a woman in her puberty who has to go through the rite of passage in order to be qualified for wifehood and to become mothers. Women is considered as a land for sowing seeds and the gender roles they inherited include housekeeping, child care, in general, to manage the family economy. For men, they pick up profession or skill to earn money for the female to manage. Men and women are always in pairs, one of which cannot be missed, that is how society created.

“Num Banh Chok” is an important and popular traditional food because we often see Num Banh Chok being chosen to serve guests at various festivals. More importantly, there are some festivals such as DaLean, Bon Phum, Bon Leang Neak Ta, etc. The locals who come together for the festival always make Num Banh Chok at their own houses and then bring it as “a contribution to the festival” and eat together at ceremony. As a result, most farmers know how to make noodles. The rice used to make the noodles is a kind of Ksai rice grain and a kind of hard rice. First, the rice is soaked to make it soft and easy to grind. The rice is then washed and re-soaked in water, then grind with a mortar until it become flour. The flour is too liquid to make noodle. So, the flour is wrapped in a thin cloth and pressed with stones or heavy objects to drain the water until it hardens. The flour is covered with a cloth or thin fabric and boiled in hot water, but not too hot (about 50% boiled or called Krasang shell), then the flour is extracted and hit the mortar (now made by machine) until the flour mix well. The flour is then rolled into round long pieces according to the Pen. Pen of noodles is made of copper or Tung Deng with small holes to press the flour into noodles. The flour is then put in a Pen and press on the pen, and the noodles will fall into the boiling water. As the dough falls into the pot of hot water, a stick is used to stir and cut the front of the pen hole to cut off the noodles so that they are not too long. When it is cooked enough, the noodle is taken using a basket to wash and soak in fresh water. In the last step, the noodle is extracted from the water and placed in a basket to dry. They usually do not eat just noodles; they usually eat with soup by having many types of vegetables sprinkled on top or under the noodles. There are many kinds of soups such as Somlor Bror Her (called Khmer Soup), Somlor Kari, Somlor Namya. In addition, the noodle can be eaten with sweet-fish sauce with vegetable. But for the villagers, the so-called Somlor Num Banh Chok is Somlor Bror Her, and Somlor Kari and Namya are very rare, except for those who live in the town or city.

The profession of making Dew-wet Rice Paper in Trảng Bàng district is more than 200 years old, originating from the land of Ngũ Quảng, Bình Định. The stages include choosing good rice, grinding rice into flour, coating the cake, drying the cake, baking, and dew drying. In particular, the point that makes the difference of dew-dried rice paper is that rice flour is added with a little salt to make it more flavorful and flexible; The paper is coated with two layers so that it is crispy when baked and exposed to dew at night without tearing. The paper is dried on a canopy during the day to dry, then taken down to bake. The oven is an aluminum pot (round-bottomed pot for cooking wine) placed at an angle. The worker quickly rotates the rice paper so that it puffs evenly, with small bubbles on both sides, and turns opaque white. The fuel for baking rice paper is peanut shells. After being baked, the rice paper is placed on a frame and waited until the dew falls, then the cake is exposed to dry for a short period of time. The mist slowly penetrates into the cake, making it soft, does not change color, and does not need to be dipped in water before eating. The person drying the paper must "wake up" with the paper, and wait until the rice paper has just absorbed the dew and is soft enough to put it in a bag lined with banana leaves to keep it soft and spongy. In addition to the skills taught, bakers need to be talented and know how to use their senses to feel the flavor of the paper. When eating, people peel off a sheet of rice paper, place it on a plate, then put in their favorite vegetables, melons, and bean sprouts, then add one or two pieces of meat and roll it up to fit their mouth, dipping in the water of fish sauce.

National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea Four daily meals were served to the King. Before 7:00 AM, chojobansang (a breakfast composed of porridge and dried side dishes) was served when the King did not have to have a medical decoction. Breakfast and dinner were served on three tables, wonban (the main table containing white rice, seaweed soup, stew, a steamed dish, kimchi and 12 side dishes: gyeotban (a side table containing rice with red bean, casserole, empty bowls, and a tea cup) and jeongolsang (a side table containing jeongol casserole, meat, sesame oil, egg, and vegetables). Lunch or a meal with a visiting guest was served with noodles. Banquet meals were served on congratulatory occasions like the birthday of the King or Queen or the designation of the Crown Prince, or for greeting a foreign royal envoy. During the Joseon Period, the main meals served at the Royal Palace were porridge, starch porridge, noodles and dumplings, in addition to cooked rice. Side dishes served were broth, a steamed dish, steamed vegetables, casserole, stir-fries, a grilled dish, meat skewers, pan-fries, boiled meat slices, boiled and fresh vegetables, mustard-seasoned vegetable, gujeolpan (a platter of nine delicacies), braised abalones, braised mussels, jangnajorigae, beef jerky, jokpyeon (ox foot jelly), beef tartare, sliced raw fish, parboiled sliced fish, leaf wraps, parboiled fish with vegetables, kimchi, and soy sauce. An assortment of rice cakes, honeyed juice mixed with fruits as a punch and processed fruits were also served, chestnuts, jujubes, yullan (chestnut balls), joran (jujube balls), and gangnan (ginger balls). Literature concerning the Royal Palace cuisine of the Joseon Dynasty includes Gyeongguk daejeon (National Code), Joseon wangjo sillok (Annals of the Joseon Dynasty), Jinyeon uigwe (Royal Protocol of the Royal Banquets), Jinjak uigwe (Royal Protocol of the Conduct of Banquets), and Gungjung eumsik balgi (List of the Royal Cuisine). The Joseon Dynasty came to an end in 1910, and Korean cuisine culture has changed drastically with the passage of time. Royal Palace cuisine has been designated as important intangible cultural heritage in an effort to preserve the country’s cuisine culture tradition.

“Kakor” is a delicious soup and rich in nutrients. It is really good for your health, as there are many kinds of fresh fish, meat and vegetables put together. This soup has a lot of ingredients, especially vegetables it can be put to your liking. But in general, the vegetables that are commonly used for this soup are often plants that grow near the house or in the field, such as eggplant, pumpkin, papaya, long beans, bitter melon leaf, green amaranth, Ivy gourd leaf, young leaf of pumpkin, luffa gourd, moringa leaf, young leaf of cassava, palm fruit, slender carpetweed, Agate flower and so on. For fish, there can be many types of fish that can be used, but the most common are large fish without scales, but rich in fat, such as Chhlang fish, Por fish, Chhlat fish, Trornel fish, Pra fish, and so on. But if they do not like fish, they can add three layers of pork. As for the ingredients, there are Kaffir leaf, lemongrass, garlic, galangal, turmeric, ginger root, fermented fish, pork belly, roasted rice (grinded), sugar, salt, and fish sauce (optional). For the first cooking step, one needs to grind the ingredients together and then roast them with oil. Then add Prahok and fried rice and stir the mixture until it smells good. Next, add fish (cut into slices) or minced pork to the mix. Wait until the fish/meat is cooked enough, then add the chosen vegetables and ingredients (salt, sugar ...) into the pot. Stir the ingredients until it well-cooked before adding clean water. The Khmer old saying mentioned that, “a delicious Kakor is made of stir-fried dove meat or turtle meat.”

Beshbarmak is one of the favorite traditional Kyrgyz dishes. Nowadays, none of the feast or festivities can do without preparing beshbarmak. Beshbarmak is boiled lamb cut into very small pieces and mixed with homemade noodles cooked in the lamb broth. It is served with an onion sauce called ‘chyk’ and broth (‘sorpo’). Traditionally beshbarmak is eaten with hands. That is why it is called besh barmak, which literally means five thumbs. When eating meat, guest sit in groups of two or four people. The plate with meat is given to each group. Within each group, the joints with meat are distributed according to the status of each person. Also, some beshbarmak is also left at the bottom of the big plate for those young women and men who were busy running errands outside.

The Nàng Hai Festival, also known as the Moon Praying Festival, begins in January and lasts until mid-March with the symbolic meaning of mothers and fairies on earth going to heaven to welcome Mother Moon and fairies down to earth. The Ngan ethnic group believes that on the Moon there is Mother Moon and 12 fairies, her daughters, who always take care of and protect the crops of all people. They choose a mother to be Mother Moon, and the girls play the role of fairies, including two unmarried girls who play the two moon sisters. The characters all wear traditional costumes according to regulations. They set up a "moon tent" as a place for Mother Moon and the fairies to sit during the ceremony. Before the ceremony, the people playing the role of Mother Moon (Mụ Cốc) and the girls stand in front of the altar so that Mr. Tào can perform the transformation ceremony for the souls of Mother Moon and the fairies to enter. From then on, they must abstain according to regulations. The ceremony is held on a large field with the rituals of "worshiping the local land princess" at the communal temple to ask permission for the villagers to organize the Moon-praying festival the following night. According to tradition, the ritual of carrying offerings from Thanh An communal house to the outdoor altar is a very important part to invite the gods to witness. The procession consists of 8 young people carrying the palanquin, including 4 men and 4 women, led by the shaman and the dancers, followed by trays of offerings including a pig's head, 4 pig's feet, chicken, duck, wine, cakes, and five-color dyed sticky rice. The shaman worships the local land goddess and the gods, the artists perform the rituals of dancing around the altar when the Moon-welcoming festival opens. After completing the ritual of reporting to Mother Moon and the 12 fairies, the village elder performs the rituals of praying for blessings, good luck, favorable weather, good crops; inviting Mother Moon and the fairies to bring crops and blessings to the villagers. The ceremony lasts for twelve nights. Each night, a Mother is invited. After that, they held a ceremony to send the moon ladies back to heaven. As for the festival, the shaman blew the trumpet and opened the festival. Villagers and commune residents participated in traditional sports activities such as: men's and women's volleyball; blindfolded duck catching; and pond fishing. In addition, the festival featured performances of folk songs, then singing, coi singing, folk games, and traditional cuisine of the Ngan ethnic group such as bamboo-tube rice, wild vegetable dishes, pork fish sauce, field carp fish sauce, salted plums, five-color sticky rice, pickled bamboo shoots, black plums dipped in sesame salt. This is a unique folk festival imbued with spiritual colors, with a positive and highly educational nature in the Ngan community. With its unique cultural values, the Ngan ethnic group's Moon Praying Festival was recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2018.

Ambuyat, or also called Linut, is a starchy food whitish in colour with a sticky texture, originated from palm sago flour from the trunk of the sago palm tree called ‘Ampulung’. This traditional food is well known among the Bisaya, Bajau, Kadazandusun and Murut ethnics. The sago flour is mixed with water and let it settle for about 10 minutes. Then discard the water and mix the sago flour with very hot water. Blend till the sago flour turns clear and sticky that signifies it is cooked. An alternative method is in medium heat mix the sago flour with very hot water in a pot till the sago flour turns clear and sticky. Ambuyat is eaten with bamboo fork or chopstick called ‘candas’. Take a mouthful of the Ambuyat with the fork or chopstick then dip it in a sauce. It is advisable to eat the Ambuyat while still hot. Dip it in gravy as a sauce, like boiled fish gravy.

It is said that Mi Kolok was brought in by the Chinese communities who migrated to Sarawak. Thus, this dish is abundantly served in Chinese food outlets. Other references include Mi Kolok in Malay, Kampua in Chinese, and Mi Rangkai/Kering in the Iban language. Basically this dish uses Yee Mee or dried mi served with slices of braised beef or chicken with its soup and sambal (hot chili paste). To prepare the gravy braise the beef or chicken till tender with soup condiments, salt and an adequate amount of water. Then slice the meat when cooked. Put aside the gravy as it can be reheated and water be added in when the amount has reduced. For the sambal grind some chilies with garlic then mix with sweet soy sauce and the juice of musk lime. Braise the noodle with a little salt till soft then drain. Heat a little oil, fry the sliced garlic till crispy then remove. Fry the drained noodle using the garlic’s oil remnant, then enhance with vinegar, fish sauce or soy sauce and salt. Remove and put aside. Fry the sliced meat, add in thick soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, black pepper powder and salt. Blend well then remove. To serve put the noodle into a serving dish and mix with a little of the sambal. Add in the fried sliced meat, fried garlic and garnish with sliced spring onion. Put aside a bowl of the gravy garnished with celery leaves for the soup.

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.