South Korea's tradition of making fermented sauces slated for UNESCO listing

Women from a community in Seoul make jang together in this file photo taken on 2022 Courtesy of Korean Food Promotion Institute — Wives prepare fermented sauces or jang at a community center in Seoul, in this file photo from 2022. Courtesy of the Korean Food Promotion Institution

SEOUL, November 5 (AJP) - South Korea's tradition of making fermented sauces or "jang" is highly likely to be added to UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage.

UNESCO said Tuesday that "knowledge, beliefs, and practices related to jang-making" in South Korea have been selected for "inscription" by its consultive body, the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The country's seasonal practice of making "jang" involves the entire process of fermenting soybeans to produce traditional seasonings such as doenjang (fermented soybean paste), ganjang (soy sauce), and gochujang (red pepper paste), which are essential in Korean cuisine.

A final decision will be made during the committee's session from Dec. 2 to 7 in Asunción, Paraguay. Once a cultural asset is proposed for inscription on the list, the decision is rarely reversed.

If included in the list, South Korea's UNESCO-recognized intangible cultural heritage items would increase to 23.

Im Yoon-seo lyseo0330@ajupress.com

South Korea's tradition of making fermented sauces slated for UNESCO listing

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