The [[London Sake Challenge]] was the first sake competition and was dedicated solely to sake and local [[food pairing]].
== Background ==
{{main|Sake}}
Sake, or Nihonshu<ref>{{Cite web |title=Annex2 Product Specification of Geographical Indication "日本酒 (Nihonshu/Japanese sake)" |url=https://www.nta.go.jp/english/taxes/liquor_administration/02_2.htm |access-date=2024-10-07 |website=www.nta.go.jp}}</ref>is an alcoholic beverage made of fermented rice and water. Sake originated in [[Japan]] and dates back as far as 500 BCE.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-01-07 |title=The History of Japanese Sake {{!}} JSS |url=https://japansake.or.jp/sake/en/basic/japanese-sake-history/ |access-date=2022-09-01 |website=Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association {{!}} JSS |language=ja}}</ref> Recently, sake has gained attention and significant outside of Japan and exports have rapidly increased due to the growing popularity of sake worldwide. The value of sake exports in 2022 was more than six times that of 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.jacom.or.jp/ryutsu/news/2023/02/230206-64508.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207170150/https://www.jacom.or.jp/ryutsu/news/2023/02/230206-64508.php|script-title=ja:日本酒輸出2022年度実績 金額・数量ともに過去最高 日本酒造組合中央会|language=ja|publisher=[[Japan Agricultural Cooperatives]]|date=6 February 2023|archive-date=7 February 2023}}</ref> As of 2022, the value of Japan's alcoholic beverage exports was approximately 139.2 billion yen, with sake accounting for the second most-valued export at 47.5 billion yen.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nta.go.jp/taxes/sake/yushutsu/yushutsu_tokei/pdf/0021010-203.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207165709/https://www.nta.go.jp/taxes/sake/yushutsu/yushutsu_tokei/pdf/0021010-203.pdf|script-title=ja:最近の日本産酒類の輸出動向について|language=ja|publisher=[[National Tax Agency]]|date=|archive-date=7 February 2023}}</ref> Today, sake has become a world beverage with a few breweries in China, Southeast Asia, South America, North America, and Australia.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2019/05/04/food/american-based-breweries-creating-brand-sake/|title=American-based breweries are creating their own brand of sake|last=Hirano|first=Ko|date=2019-05-04|work=The Japan Times Online|access-date=2019-12-04|language=en-US|issn=0447-5763|archive-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423224228/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2019/05/04/food/american-based-breweries-creating-brand-sake/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
