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Jordan News
17-07-2025
- General
- Jordan News
Jordanian Dish Mansaf Added to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List - Jordan News
Jordanian Dish Mansaf Added to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List Amman – On a hill facing the ancient Karak Castle, thirty-something Amani Al-Bashabsheh and her family have established a training academy to teach the culinary art of Mansaf, Jordan's iconic national dish. The academy also produces discs of jameed, the dried yogurt essential to preparing Mansaf, a dish closely associated with the city of Karak in southern Jordan. اضافة اعلان Mansaf has a uniquely Jordanian method of preparation, distinct from similarly named dishes in neighboring countries in terms of ingredients, cooking method, type of yogurt used, and even how it's presented and eaten. According to Al-Bashabsheh, what sets Jordanian Mansaf apart is its use of natural ingredients sourced from the local environment—local lamb, traditional bread made from native wheat, jameed from the milk of local sheep, and wild herbs that add flavor and depth. A Historic Milestone for Jordan In a historic first, Jordan succeeded last week in registering Mansaf on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, surpassing a number of prominent Arab and international dishes and drinks, such as Moroccan couscous, Italian pizza, and Saudi Arabic coffee. This achievement adds to Jordan's growing portfolio of recognized cultural practices: the Jordanian palm tree (2019, in partnership with other Arab countries), Arabic calligraphy (2021), the Samer dance (2018), and the cultural space of Petra and Wadi Rum Bedouins (2008). Historical and Cultural Roots According to historians, Mansaf dates back more than 3,000 years, to when the Moabite king Mesha in the 19th century BCE instructed his people to cook meat in yogurt—a practice deliberately in contrast to Jewish dietary laws, which forbid mixing meat and dairy. This helped distinguish the Moabites culturally and religiously from the Jews. Mansaf remains the centerpiece of Jordanian gatherings—especially weddings—deepening family and societal ties, and serving as the ultimate gesture of hospitality for guests and dignitaries alike. Jordanian heritage specialist Naif Al-Nawaiseh emphasizes that Mansaf is not just a dish but a living tradition, preserved for over 200 years. The finest Mansaf, he says, is made entirely with traditional 'baladi' (locally sourced) ingredients—lamb, jameed, traditional bread, and cracked wheat (jareesh). Social and Symbolic Significance Mansaf is closely tied to cherished values such as generosity, honoring elders, maintaining family bonds, feeding the needy, and reconciling conflicts. As Al-Nawaiseh told Al Jazeera, Mansaf is far more than a celebratory meal—it is a deeply rooted social and cultural expression of Jordanian solidarity. Jordan's Permanent Delegation to UNESCO announced the official inclusion of the file titled 'Mansaf in Jordan: A Celebratory Meal and Its Social and Cultural Significance' in March 2021, during Jordan's participation in the 17th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Preparing Mansaf To prepare Mansaf, lamb is cooked in jameed. The jameed discs are first broken into small pieces, soaked in water for several hours, ground into a smooth mixture, and combined with spices and the cooked meat in a large pot. While the lamb cooks in the yogurt sauce, traditional shrak bread—a thin flatbread baked over wood fire—is prepared using nothing but salt and whole wheat flour. Mansaf is served in a large platter called a sider, where shrak bread is layered at the base, followed by a spread of the jameed broth, a layer of rice, and finally the meat. The lamb's head is often placed at the center—a traditional symbol of honor and hospitality. In the past, cracked wheat (jareesh) was used instead of rice. Today, the platter is often garnished with roasted almonds and pine nuts. In northern Jordan, it may also be topped with stuffed kibbeh balls. Mansaf is traditionally eaten by hand, using the right hand only, with the jameed sauce poured over the rice. A Living Symbol of National Identity Mansaf preparation is a shared endeavor between men and women. Men often contribute by lighting the wood fires for the large pots used during communal events. According to Makram Al-Qaisi, Jordan's Permanent Representative to UNESCO, Mansaf reflects Jordan's intangible culinary heritage and serves as a cultural identifier. It also represents the generosity and pride of Jordanians, helping introduce the country's values and traditions to the world. In the city of Karak, tourists are regularly invited to enjoy Mansaf in local guesthouses, experiencing firsthand the flavors and rituals of this ancient dish—now officially recognized by UNESCO as a treasure of humanity. Source: Al Jazeera
The Mainichi
30-04-2025
- Business
- The Mainichi
Japanese sake's export boom bringing in new fans and food pairings
HIROSHIMA (Kyodo) -- When Imada Sake Brewing Co. master brewer Miho Imada presented a sake inspired by local seafood to a sommelier from Hong Kong, she asked for pairing suggestions. The answer was surprising: braised pork trotters. Sake has been enjoying an international boom that's bringing in new fans and food combinations. Even as domestic consumption of Japan's national beverage continues its long decline, the volume exported in 2024 was up 90 percent over 10 years ago. Aided by the addition of the traditional knowledge and skills used in sake-brewing to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List in December, this overseas bonanza is giving a shot in the arm to regional brewers like Imada Shuzo, as the brewery is commonly known. From the quiet port town of Akitsu, facing the Seto Inland Sea, around 30 percent of sales of Imada Shuzo's Fukucho brand of sake come from exports. The brewery's efforts to export started with the United States in the late 1990s. Today, Imada Shuzo exports to around 20 countries with Canada, South Korea, Singapore, and France, among them. Its Seafood brew has proven popular. As "toji," or head brewer, Imada took a different approach to creating the junmai sake. Starting with a sake to complement oysters, for which the waters of the Seto Inland Sea around Akitsu are an ideal harvesting ground, the result is a lighter sake which the brewery ships to nearly all of its export countries. A rare female toji, Imada is now the fourth head of her family's brewery. In 2020, she was selected by the BBC as one of 100 "inspiring and influential women" around the world. She is eyeing Thailand and Malaysia, as well as countries in Africa, as potential markets for Fukucho. She isn't overly protective about how her sake is enjoyed abroad. "As long as people enjoy it, that's fine," she said. But she does draw the line at people drinking sake like a tequila shot, an approach she has often encountered abroad. The brewing facility that Imada's family established in 1868 is a short walk from the sea. Behind the storehouse, mountains rise sharply. The brewery's landmark red-brick chimney remains from when coal was used in rice-steaming. "When people were looking for liquor stores in town, they would look for this kind of chimney and know there was a sake brewery here," she said. They might not have come looking were it not for the efforts of Akitsu-born toji Senzaburo Miura. In the late 19th century, Miura developed a low-temperature brewing method to overcome the biggest challenge facing brewers in Akitsu -- producing good sake from the area's unusually soft water. Low-temperature brewing has since become the go-to method for producing the fragrant ginjo type of sake. Imada often directs visitors to Akitsu to Sakakiyama Hachiman Shrine, which has ties to the sake brewers of Hiroshima. A bronze statue of Miura stands among stone sake barrels and other tributes from brewers to the shrine. Imada said she wants people to understand the traditions behind Akitsu's ginjo sake established by Miura and evolved by the Hiroshima master brewers before her. "I think it's important for people to know why we use certain tools, how we see things, and how we feel, so they can become aware of what is good about Japanese people and about Japan," she said. Expectations in the industry are high that the UNESCO listing might do for sake what it is thought to have done for "washoku," or traditional Japanese cuisine. In the decade following washoku's UNESCO listing, the number of Japanese restaurants overseas increased threefold, from around 55,000 in 2013 to around 187,000 in 2023, according to farm ministry data. While exports of sake grew over the same period -- around fourfold to over 41 billion yen ($270 million) in 2023 -- market share remains small. Sake is thought to account for only around 1 percent of the market for alcoholic beverages that are served with food. An increase of just 1 or 2 percentage points could translate into significant gains for the industry. There are hurdles to exporting, however. Longer periods of storage and transportation times can compromise the quality of sake, which deteriorates more easily than beverages like wine or whiskey. To address that problem, Imada Shuzo has been brewing and exporting some of its sake with an improved yeast developed by Hiroshima Prefecture's Food Industry Technology Center. The yeast was unveiled in January under the name Hiroshima LeG-Sou. Developers described the refreshing acidity and fruity aroma of the resulting sake as one that would surprise even wine connoisseurs. Imada, 63, started brewing around 30 years ago after having returned to Akitsu from Tokyo, where she worked in Noh theater production. She admired the skills of the Hiroshima master brewers and wanted to make sake like them. The career change is in keeping with the spirit of Hiroshima's master brewers, who were not ones to shy away from change, according to Imada. "The tradition of the Hiroshima toji is to take on challenges and overcome them by developing skills and techniques. The idea of continuing to change is built into this tradition," she said. (By Tom Shuttleworth)
Japan Today
28-04-2025
- Business
- Japan Today
Sake's export boom bringing in new fans and food pairings
By Tom Shuttleworth When Imada Sake Brewing Co master brewer Miho Imada presented a sake inspired by local seafood to a sommelier from Hong Kong, she asked for pairing suggestions. The answer was surprising: braised pork trotters. Sake has been enjoying an international boom that's bringing in new fans and food combinations. Even as domestic consumption of Japan's national beverage continues its long decline, the volume exported in 2024 was up 90 percent over 10 years ago. Aided by the addition of the traditional knowledge and skills used in sake-brewing to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List in December, this overseas bonanza is giving a shot in the arm to regional brewers like Imada Shuzo, as the brewery is commonly known. From the quiet port town of Akitsu, facing the Seto Inland Sea, around 30 percent of sales of Imada Shuzo's Fukucho brand of sake come from exports. The brewery's efforts to export started with the United States in the late 1990s. Today, Imada Shuzo exports to around 20 countries with Canada, South Korea, Singapore, and France, among them. Its Seafood brew has proven popular. As toji, or head brewer, Imada took a different approach to creating the junmai sake. Starting with a sake to complement oysters, for which the waters of the Seto Inland Sea around Akitsu are an ideal harvesting ground, the result is a lighter sake which the brewery ships to nearly all of its export countries. A rare female toji, Imada is now the fourth head of her family's brewery. In 2020, she was selected by the BBC as one of 100 "inspiring and influential women" around the world. She is eyeing Thailand and Malaysia, as well as countries in Africa, as potential markets for Fukucho. She isn't overly protective about how her sake is enjoyed abroad. "As long as people enjoy it, that's fine," she said. But she does draw the line at people drinking sake like a tequila shot, an approach she has often encountered abroad. The brewing facility that Imada's family established in 1868 is a short walk from the sea. Behind the storehouse, mountains rise sharply. The brewery's landmark red-brick chimney remains from when coal was used in rice-steaming. "When people were looking for liquor stores in town, they would look for this kind of chimney and know there was a sake brewery here," she said. They might not have come looking were it not for the efforts of Akitsu-born toji Senzaburo Miura. In the late 19th century, Miura developed a low-temperature brewing method to overcome the biggest challenge facing brewers in Akitsu -- producing good sake from the area's unusually soft water. Low-temperature brewing has since become the go-to method for producing the fragrant ginjo type of sake. Imada often directs visitors to Akitsu to Sakakiyama Hachiman Shrine, which has ties to the sake brewers of Hiroshima. A bronze statue of Miura stands among stone sake barrels and other tributes from brewers to the shrine. Imada said she wants people to understand the traditions behind Akitsu's ginjo sake established by Miura and evolved by the Hiroshima master brewers before her. "I think it's important for people to know why we use certain tools, how we see things, and how we feel, so they can become aware of what is good about Japanese people and about Japan," she said. Expectations in the industry are high that the UNESCO listing might do for sake what it is thought to have done for washoku, or traditional Japanese cuisine. In the decade following washoku's UNESCO listing, the number of Japanese restaurants overseas increased threefold, from around 55,000 in 2013 to around 187,000 in 2023, according to farm ministry data. While exports of sake grew over the same period -- around fourfold to over 41 billion yen in 2023 -- market share remains small. Sake is thought to account for only around 1 percent of the market for alcoholic beverages that are served with food. An increase of just 1 or 2 percentage points could translate into significant gains for the industry. There are hurdles to exporting, however. Longer periods of storage and transportation times can compromise the quality of sake, which deteriorates more easily than beverages like wine or whiskey. To address that problem, Imada Shuzo has been brewing and exporting some of its sake with an improved yeast developed by Hiroshima Prefecture's Food Industry Technology Center. The yeast was unveiled in January under the name Hiroshima LeG-Sou. Developers described the refreshing acidity and fruity aroma of the resulting sake as one that would surprise even wine connoisseurs. Imada, 63, started brewing around 30 years ago after having returned to Akitsu from Tokyo, where she worked in Noh theater production. She admired the skills of the Hiroshima master brewers and wanted to make sake like them. The career change is in keeping with the spirit of Hiroshima's master brewers, who were not ones to shy away from change, according to Imada. "The tradition of the Hiroshima toji is to take on challenges and overcome them by developing skills and techniques. The idea of continuing to change is built into this tradition," she said. © KYODO
Kyodo News
28-04-2025
- Business
- Kyodo News
Sake's export boom bringing in new fans and food pairings
By Tom Shuttleworth, Spotlight Japan - 1 minute ago - 09:30 | Japan, Spotlight When Imada Sake Brewing Co. master brewer Miho Imada presented a sake inspired by local seafood to a sommelier from Hong Kong, she asked for pairing suggestions. The answer was surprising: braised pork trotters. Sake has been enjoying an international boom that's bringing in new fans and food combinations. Even as domestic consumption of Japan's national beverage continues its long decline, the volume exported in 2024 was up 90 percent over 10 years ago. Aided by the addition of the traditional knowledge and skills used in sake-brewing to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List in December, this overseas bonanza is giving a shot in the arm to regional brewers like Imada Shuzo, as the brewery is commonly known. From the quiet port town of Akitsu, facing the Seto Inland Sea, around 30 percent of sales of Imada Shuzo's Fukucho brand of sake come from exports. The brewery's efforts to export started with the United States in the late 1990s. Today, Imada Shuzo exports to around 20 countries with Canada, South Korea, Singapore, and France, among them. Its Seafood brew has proven popular. As "toji," or head brewer, Imada took a different approach to creating the junmai sake. Starting with a sake to complement oysters, for which the waters of the Seto Inland Sea around Akitsu are an ideal harvesting ground, the result is a lighter sake which the brewery ships to nearly all of its export countries. A rare female toji, Imada is now the fourth head of her family's brewery. In 2020, she was selected by the BBC as one of 100 "inspiring and influential women" around the world. She is eyeing Thailand and Malaysia, as well as countries in Africa, as potential markets for Fukucho. She isn't overly protective about how her sake is enjoyed abroad. "As long as people enjoy it, that's fine," she said. But she does draw the line at people drinking sake like a tequila shot, an approach she has often encountered abroad. The brewing facility that Imada's family established in 1868 is a short walk from the sea. Behind the storehouse, mountains rise sharply. The brewery's landmark red-brick chimney remains from when coal was used in rice-steaming. "When people were looking for liquor stores in town, they would look for this kind of chimney and know there was a sake brewery here," she said. They might not have come looking were it not for the efforts of Akitsu-born toji Senzaburo Miura. In the late 19th century, Miura developed a low-temperature brewing method to overcome the biggest challenge facing brewers in Akitsu -- producing good sake from the area's unusually soft water. Low-temperature brewing has since become the go-to method for producing the fragrant ginjo type of sake. Imada often directs visitors to Akitsu to Sakakiyama Hachiman Shrine, which has ties to the sake brewers of Hiroshima. A bronze statue of Miura stands among stone sake barrels and other tributes from brewers to the shrine. Imada said she wants people to understand the traditions behind Akitsu's ginjo sake established by Miura and evolved by the Hiroshima master brewers before her. "I think it's important for people to know why we use certain tools, how we see things, and how we feel, so they can become aware of what is good about Japanese people and about Japan," she said. Expectations in the industry are high that the UNESCO listing might do for sake what it is thought to have done for "washoku," or traditional Japanese cuisine. In the decade following washoku's UNESCO listing, the number of Japanese restaurants overseas increased threefold, from around 55,000 in 2013 to around 187,000 in 2023, according to farm ministry data. While exports of sake grew over the same period -- around fourfold to over 41 billion yen ($270 million) in 2023 -- market share remains small. Sake is thought to account for only around 1 percent of the market for alcoholic beverages that are served with food. An increase of just 1 or 2 percentage points could translate into significant gains for the industry. There are hurdles to exporting, however. Longer periods of storage and transportation times can compromise the quality of sake, which deteriorates more easily than beverages like wine or whiskey. To address that problem, Imada Shuzo has been brewing and exporting some of its sake with an improved yeast developed by Hiroshima Prefecture's Food Industry Technology Center. The yeast was unveiled in January under the name Hiroshima LeG-Sou. Developers described the refreshing acidity and fruity aroma of the resulting sake as one that would surprise even wine connoisseurs. Imada, 63, started brewing around 30 years ago after having returned to Akitsu from Tokyo, where she worked in Noh theater production. She admired the skills of the Hiroshima master brewers and wanted to make sake like them. The career change is in keeping with the spirit of Hiroshima's master brewers, who were not ones to shy away from change, according to Imada. "The tradition of the Hiroshima toji is to take on challenges and overcome them by developing skills and techniques. The idea of continuing to change is built into this tradition," she said. This is the second of a three-part series on Japan's sake brewers. >>>Read part one: Innovation over tradition sending Dassai sake to the Moon
Korea Herald
05-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Water-Releasing Festival kicks off in Dujiangyan, Sichuan
DUJIANGYAN, China, April 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2025 Dujiangyan Water-Releasing Festival kicked off on April 4 in Dujiangyan in Southwest China's Sichuan province, attracting over 1,100 guests and tourists from home and abroad. The annual event is a thousand-year-old tradition commemorating Li Bing, governor of the Shu state (ancient name for Sichuan) during the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), who initiated the construction of the Dujiangyan Irrigation System in 256 BC. The irrigation system, one of the world's oldest still-operational water-control projects, protects the Chengdu Plain from floods and droughts, earning it the reputation as a "land of abundance". Today, it irrigates about 770,000 hectares of farmland across eight cities and 41 county-level regions in the province. In ancient times, workers used bamboo cages filled with stones, along with wooden tripods called "macha" to block the Minjiang River during winter. This allowed them to dredge the river channel and reinforce the dikes. As spring arrived, they would tear down the macha to release water for irrigating farmland in the Chengdu Plain. A major highlight of the festival, the water-releasing ceremony on the opening day recreated a series of historical scenes, including cofferdam construction using ancient methods, blocking the river, sacrificial rituals, and water release. Huang Shasha, a first-time visitor to Dujiangyan from Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, said she felt honored to attend the water-releasing ceremony and experience the culture of Dujiangyan. "Li Bing's wisdom in water control is truly impressive," she said. Another highlight is that the Dujiangyan Water-Releasing Festival is jointly celebrated with Thailand's Songkran Festival for the first time this year, according to Dujiangyan city government. Local officials said the two festivals will be permanently promoted together every year as a cross-cultural event. This year's festival also features consumption promotion activities alongside cultural and tourism displays and performances. During the three-day event, visitors can experience intangible cultural heritage skills and purchase characteristic products from eight cities in the Dujiangyan Irrigation System's service area, Kangding in Sichuan, and Thailand. The Dujiangyan Water-Releasing Festival was listed among the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage items in 2006. Local authorities are applying to have the festival added to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
