"Winning hearts through the stomach" is the food diplomacy of various countries

An article published on the bimonthly website of foreign policy in the United States on August 20, excerpted from the book "Gastronomic Nativism: Food, Identity and Politics" by New York University professor Fabio Paraseccoli, entitled "How Countries Can Use Food to Win Friends and Increase Influence", the full text of which is excerpted as follows:

The spacious first-floor hall of the former residence of the Spanish Ambassador to the United States is crowded, and on the walls around it, large, artistically richly colored pictures displaying a variety of Spanish ingredients and specialties reveal the theme of the event: Spanish cuisine.

The audience consisted of professionals and food lovers who came to listen to this symposium about Spanish-dried ham (Jamón). This ham has been widely acclaimed around the world, with the prestige of Spanish celebrity chefs and even more famous for the popularity of Spanish restaurants. I was joined by an American foodie and several air-dried ham makers from Spain. As an Italian foodie, I find myself talking about a delicacy that is often seen as a competitor to Prosciutto. Later, during the ham tasting session, the audience gathered around me to see how I reacted to the so-called "fierce enemy".

The event is part of a series of events called "Enjoy Spanish Cuisine to the FullEst", whose main organizers, Gloria and Luis Rodríguez, believe that it is a cultural diplomacy that can introduce Spain to foreign audiences and consumers and stimulate their interest in the country. They launched the series in 2013, with funding from the Spanish Ministry of Culture, held in Stockholm, Oslo, New York and Washington, D.C., with the theme of promoting different regions of Spain and food producers. The event does not take a fixed format, but is tailored to the needs of specific audiences and partners, such as cooking master classes, roundtable seminars and exhibitions, and screenings of films and documentaries on Spanish cuisine.

"Enjoy Spanish cuisine" is a perfect example of a public diplomacy called "gastronomic diplomacy".

From Thai food to kimchi

The Economist magazine first coined the term "gastronomic diplomacy" in 2002 to describe the so-called "global Thai" initiative. The Thai government launched the programme in 2002 with the goal of increasing the number of Thai restaurants worldwide from 5,500 to 8,000. The project manages to make it easier for restaurants to import food from Thailand, hire Thai chefs, and even get soft loans. The Thai government uses the "Thai Select" label to certify restaurants that employ Thai chefs and staff, have Thai dishes on their menus, and use Thai-imported ingredients and tableware. They have even signed intergovernmental agreements with other countries to make it easier for Thai chefs to obtain work visas.

Many countries have adopted a similar strategy. In 2009, the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea, together with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, launched the "Korean Cuisine to the World" campaign. With the support of the private sector and the newly established Korea Food Foundation, the South Korean government hopes to unleash a global wave of Korean culture through Korean food, following Korean dramas, Korean movies and K-pop music.

In addition to organizing gastronomic events around the world, the movement sought to promote Korean celebrity chefs, as well as court cuisine of the Joseon Dynasty, which ruled the Korean Peninsula from the 14th to the 19th century. Propaganda agencies espouse a degree of cultural conservatism, arguing that this traditional approach to cooking is particularly noble, noble and refined—the perfect balance of new ways of cooking.

In addition, South Korea strives to make Synki (i.e. Korean kimchi) a national landmark product, vigorously promoting its health benefits, the characteristics of all-natural foods, and the central position of traditional crafts in its production. In 2010, The World Kimchi Research Institute was established in South Korea.

Kindness between chopsticks

"Gastronomic diplomacy" is a global soft diplomacy movement that seeks to increase interest in a country's cuisine and products, increase the country's visibility, favorability, and then gain economic and commercial windfalls. Gastronomic diplomacy is often described as "the practice of governments exporting their national culinary heritage as part of a public diplomacy effort", "the practice of sharing a country's cultural heritage through gastronomy", or more simply as "winning hearts through the stomach".

Although gastronomic diplomacy has only recently become widespread around the world, it is nothing new. Historically, gastronomy has played an important role in official meetings, negotiations and cultural exchanges between countries. Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill sees "table diplomacy" as a central tool for demonstrating power and influence in discussions with international policymakers. In 1972, U.S. President Richard Nixon used chopsticks to dinner with Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai— a skill rare among Westerners at the time. It is said that since the decision to visit China, Nixon and his wife have begun to practice how to use chopsticks at home.

Awkwardness at the dinner table

In turn, food can sometimes create diplomatic embarrassment. Queen Elizabeth II visited Belize in 1985 and the country gained independence from britain in 1981. The state banquet for the Queen features a "roasted guinea pig", a nocturnal rodent that is revered as a delicacy by the locals. While the Queen praised the chef for her diplomatic courteousness, the British tabloids trumpeted that the Queen was served with "rats", which led Belizeans to accuse the British media of being crudely stupid and racist. Needless to say, guinea pigs were suddenly given a higher status and greater symbolism in this Central American country.

In February 2020, then-US President Donald Trump created an embarrassing moment during an official visit to India for not liking vegetables. On the occasion of a banquet at the official residence of the President of India, the chef of the Presidential Palace carefully prepared a menu intended to please him. Indian charcoal grilled fish cubes with American kazin spices instead of Indian curry; Replace Trump's favorite beef with goat meat. But these efforts have not received particular appreciation. During Trump's visit to the Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad, celebrity chef Suresh Connor abandoned traditional potato and pea fillings with broccoli and corn to fill Indian curry horns, to the astonishment of Indian gourmets. But apparently, Trump and the first lady didn't even taste a bite of this specially designed vegetarian menu.

Is the "food card" easy to play?

The growing number of food diplomacy initiated by countries shows that the value of food in diplomatic relations has far exceeded that of specialties for entertaining foreign guests. A country can enhance its presence in the international community with the help of gastronomy, as gourmets and food and beverage professionals increasingly love – and even obsess over – unique, original and authentic cuisine.

Gastronomic diplomacy is particularly attractive to medium-sized countries because of their limited political or economic power and difficulty attracting attention on the global stage. These countries believe that food will improve the perception of the world's people. The practice of commercial brand marketing is used in the field of international relations: to make a country more interesting through its recognizable characteristics. This strategy targets not only other governments, but also foreign consumers, businesses and investors.

The emergence of gastronomic diplomacy is itself a direct product of food globalization. Globalization makes it easy for ingredients, products, ideas and food and beverage professionals to circulate and move around the world. Today's gastronomic diplomacy relies heavily on social media and the Internet, especially to cosmopolitan foodies who share common values and predictable taste categories, have the economic strength and interest to buy imported products, and are able to travel abroad frequently.

Gastronomic diplomacy also helps citizens form a sense of solidarity and national pride over their own cuisine. It can even evoke nostalgia through food, ease domestic tensions and remind people of good times before modernization and globalization.

Does it work? It is difficult to measure the results of gastronomic diplomacy at home and abroad, as various factors and socio-political processes affect the participation and cooperation of all parties that may be necessary for its success. For example, overseas target audiences are likely to eat Chinese food, tortillas, or Turkish kebabs on a regular basis, but many don't want to learn more about the culture of the origin of these foods. Little-known gastronomic traditions may not even be on their radar, especially if the number of immigrants associated with them is limited or relatively unknown.

This is the fate of many medium-sized countries such as Thailand, South Korea and Peru. As a result, gastronomic diplomacy tends to stop at an elitist phenomenon – at best effective among a small number of foodies and professionals.

New bottles with old wine

Some countries try to attract tourists who don't have to make a difference through their catering industry, the reputation of chefs and the unique flavors of their dishes. Peru and Denmark fall into this category. They have gained fame in the gastronomic world and attract many diners who come here. In Peru, for example, in addition to applying for UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage designation for its national cuisine (which has not been successful so far), the government has also worked with non-governmental organizations to promote the promotion of its national cuisine abroad, including the creation of Peruvian brands, international events, filming and documentaries, and even allowing well-known chefs to experience Peruvian culture.

As for Denmark, the concept of the new Nordic cuisine has propelled the country's chefs onto the international stage. Local ingredients, traditional dishes, and cooking methods on the brink of extinction have all returned and are packaged with authentic, sustainable, creative and trendy ideas that have resonated with national and international media. This practice is not unique to Denmark, but the country has taken advantage of it to raise the international profile of its chefs and restaurants, gaining attention that was unimaginable not so long ago, as a hunting destination for gourmets around the world.

Intangible cultural heritage on the tip of the tongue

In recent years, as a form of gastronomic diplomacy, a new international platform for the presentation of national cuisine has emerged. At the request of a number of countries that wish to recognize and value their own culinary practices, UNESCO has expanded its list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity to include farming, food making and gastronomic traditions.

The inclusion of a culinary tradition in the List will promote the importance of it, which in turn will increase the sense of identity and pride within the people, and give them more incentive to carry it on. It could increase the country's international standing and international visibility. Listing can also bring indirect economic benefits, such as the promotion of tourism development and the promotion of products.

In 2010, the UN Intangible Cultural Heritage List included the first three food-related traditions: French cuisine, Mediterranean cuisine and traditional Mexican cuisine. Since then, the list of this category has been expanded. Among the 2020 inductees are Malta's il-Ftira sourdough bread and Singapore's Food Court Culture. New entries in 2021 include Haiti's Kumu soup and Italy's truffle picking tradition, while 2022's new entries are Ukrainian borscht.

In 2013, South Korea's wintering sinchi pickling method was successfully added to the list. However, there is a tradition of making kimchi throughout the Korean Peninsula, which led UNESCO to include Kimchi making methods in North Korea.

Source: Reference News Network