The Streetfood Hawker Culture Of Singapore
Singapore&rsquos legendary hawkers have waiting for you. The Char Kway Teow, with the best of the wok&rsquos charred flavours, isn&rsquot just a Singaporean favourite but also struck a chord with the late Anthony Bourdain when he was here. Then there&rsquos Siamese mee, delicious prawn noodles, Hainanese chicken, satay, carrot and rice cakes and fragrant curries. These form part of a million different specks of flavour just casually wafting around in the general chaos of a hawker centre. Not that it needed a stamp of approval&mdashbut this chaos has been awarded UNESCO&rsquos intangible cultural heritage status. Approving the application was a matter of just three minutes for the 24-member delegation, who took the decision unanimously and without debate.
The Borscht Of Ukraine
The Ukraine version of the soup was on the verge of losing its unique identity owing to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine until the UNESCO inscribed the Culture of Ukrainian borscht cooking on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding in July 2022. The international body fast tracked the nomination (originally scheduled for consideration in the 2023 cycle) as a case of extreme urgency, in accordance with the rules and procedures of the Convention, to ensure that the ongoing war did not leave a negative impact on the tradition. According to media reports, the approval came on the basis of an application by Ukraine&rsquos celebrity chef, 35 year old Yevhen Klopotenko, who, concerned over Russia's rival claim, had travelled across the country to document how borscht is an integral part of Ukrainian culture.
The Cuisine of Mexico
The cuisine of Mexico made it to the UNESCO list for a variety of reasons. Traditional Mexican cuisine is a comprehensive cultural model comprising farming, ritual practices, age-old skills, culinary techniques and ancestral community customs and manners, explains UNESCO. And it is made possible by collective participation in the entire traditional food chain from planting and harvesting to cooking and eating. The basis of the system is founded on corn, beans and chili unique farming methods such as milpas (rotating swidden fields of corn and other crops) and chinampas (man-made farming islets in lake areas) cooking processes such as nixtamalization (lime-hulling maize, which increases its nutritional value) and singular utensils including grinding stones and stone mortars. Native ingredients such as varieties of tomatoes, squashes, avocados, cocoa and vanilla augment the basic staples. Mexican cuisine is elaborate and symbol-laden, with everyday tortillas and tamales, both made of corn, forming an integral part of Day of the Dead offerings.
The Gastronomic Meal Of The French
We always knew that the French know how to do food in style. The gastronomic meal of the French has been inscribed in 2010 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The gastronomic meal of the French is described as a customary social practice for celebrating important moments in the lives of individuals and groups, such as births, weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, achievements and reunions. It is a festive meal bringing people together for an occasion to enjoy the art of good eating and drinking. It is a leisurely ritual that begins with an aperitif and ends with a digestif. Between these two beverages are at least four courses an appetiser, a fish and/or meat course, a cheese course and dessert. All of this is accompanied by bread and wine, of course.
Washoku Of Japan
Washoku, traditional Japanese cuisine, made UNESCO's list in 2013. It favors heavily using natural, local ingredients&mdashrice, fish, vegetables, edible wild plants&mdashwith great respect paid to the seasons. It is a social practice based on a set of skills, knowledge, practice and traditions related to the production, processing, preparation and consumption of food. It is associated with an essential spirit of respect for nature that is closely related to the sustainable use of natural resources. The basic knowledge and the social and cultural characteristics associated with Washoku are typically seen during New Year celebrations. The Japanese make various preparations to welcome the deities of the incoming year, pounding rice cakes and preparing special meals and beautifully decorated dishes using fresh ingredients, each of which has a symbolic meaning.
Pizzaiuolo, The Art of Neopolitan Pizza
There is pizza and there is the Neapolitian way of making pizza. Or pizzaiuolo. This is a form of food artistry with history. Pizzaiulo "fosters social gatherings and intergenerational exchange" and the "Pizzaiuoli (pizza-makers) are a living link for the communities concerned," says UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). There's the Master Pizzaiuolo, the Pizzaiuolo, and the baker, a designation that depends on experience. What makes a pizza Neapolitan According to The Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, the dough must be made with high protein 0 or 00 flour, kneaded by hand, and topped with either fior di latte (made from cow&rsquos milk) or mozzarella di bufala (made from water buffalo milk), San Marzano tomatoes, basil, and extra-virgin olive oil.