Culinary Diplomacy

America House, 19 November 2008

Food is an ancient means of exchange. Be it for the purposes of trade, as ritualistic practise, or as a gesture of goodwill, food is an invaluable tool for the purpose of cultural diplomacy. As James Beard said, “Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” One example of the inclusivity of food comes from the Quad-city in the States, where the Muslim community played host to a range of other religious groups as a celebration of the common elements shared by various faiths. “People from more than 14 faith traditions shared food and conversation together at the 3rd annual Interfaith dinner in the Islamic Center of the Quad-Cities, Moline.”1 Initiatives such as this have far-reaching effects in the creation of tolerance and understanding among diverse groups. This is more pertinent than ever in the present era of tension, intolerance and fanaticism. Even on a less intense level, the ritual of coming together to eat is inherently unifying and has a naturally positive effect on relationships.

Ways of bringing people together come in many shapes and forms. Each culture and nation can be said to have its own festival or event which aims to unite people, not only from its own area, but from abroad as well. One example of such an event is the Christmas market. The Christmas market , or Weihnachtsmarkt, is said to have originated in the German town of Dresden in 1471 with the giving of “Stollen” ( a type of Christmas cake) to its poorer inhabitants . From then on, the concept grew and spread to many other European cities such as Salzburg and Prague. The market sells items traditionally associated with christmas such as tree decorations, childrens toys and ornaments, however, its main attraction is food. Gluhwein, Lebkuchen and Bratwurst are just some of the delicacies available to taste and children are also catered for with the provision of Kinderpunsch and candy apples.

Cultural diplomacy plays a significant role in these types of events by attracting people from all races and religions to share and participate. Food’s greatest strength is its ability to highlight people’s similiarities rather than their differences. The Weihnachtsmarkt is an excellent example of how cultural diplomacy works; Christmas is a time for families and for giving. The Weihnachtsmarkt combines these two concepts and the result is delightful. People from all over the world come to sample pieces of traditional German and Austrian culture while also engaging each other with tales of traditions from home.

Globalisation plays a part in food as cultural diplomacy also. It is through globalisation that people in the UK eat Chinese food such as spring rolls and noodles, and how people in Australia are able to sample Mexican food such as tortillas. It is up to us to decide however, how we will use globalisation and the idea of food to spread cultural diplomacy. In many countries, markets are used to promote and sell food not just at Christmas but throughout the year. These markets rely on produce from local people and farmers in particular, but still achieve their aims of bringing people together by providing people with outlets to sell their produce, thus allowing them to have reasonable standards of living.

Bearing this in mind, in addition to the gastric demands of the ICD team, Wednesday November 19th saw the ‘Food as Cultural Diplomacy’ event to be held by the ICD. This informal evening for the ICD staff took place in the America House and was attended by the ICD´s team members, supporters and friends. The goal of the evening was to create a relaxed setting where the ethnic cuisine of the many countries represented at the ICD could be enjoyed. The resulting menu featured dishes from Singapore, Hungary, England, Italy, Israel, Germany, Turkey, The Netherlands, Estonia, Ireland, Egypt, and the United States.

Wine and homemade Irish cream liqueur were offered as welcome drinks while people eagerly awaited the call to dinner. Once dinner was ready, a buffet style presentation allowed self-service and ample opportunity for second (and third) helpings. Moussaka, stuffed grape leaves, pellkartoffeln mit quark und leinöl, chicken curry, hummus and tortilla were just some of the ethnic offerings to be enjoyed. After the inevitable overindulgence on the main courses, the briefest of pauses preceded the dash for a sweet finale. Desserts baked by our English, American, Estonian and Irish staff provided the culmination to this exceptional culinary feast. After dinner, the remainder of the evening was dedicated to good conversation and good sangria! Background music from numerous countries added extra revelry to the gathering.

The concept of food as cultural diplomacy was thus underlined as a compelling means of bringing people together. Be it at the local or national level, the creation of relationships, understanding and awareness is crucial for promoting tolerance among those of differing races, ethnicities, cultures, and religions. Considering that this is a hugely relevant task in today’s world, the use of food as cultural diplomacy is clearly a worthy project.

By Lesley Prendergast and Aoife Flood