Heyl1

Vivian Heyl
Professor Diana Watkins
Composition II 9:00 AM
23 February 2016
Food as the Common Ground: Gastro Diplomacy
Paul Rockower, the Communications Director for Public Diplomacy Corporations,
illustrates, one of the more delicious forms of public diplomacy has recently emerged in the
global conscience: gastro diplomacy. Public diplomacy is a field predicated on the
communication of culture and values to foreign publics; gastro diplomacy, most plainly put, is
the act of winning hearts and minds through stomachs. By definition, gastro diplomacy is a
new concept centered on sharing meals and public culinary diplomacy. Preparing meals together
carries health initiative, bonds cultures together by communicating values, and can be a tool for
gastro diplomacy.
Gastro diplomacy has symbolically represented important relations between countries
through the form of formal banquets. One example, from the Bible, details Esther holding a
banquet in order to beg for her life and save the lives of her people. Esther then made a treaty to
allow the Jews to fight back against the enemy. A decree was made in order for the future days of
her people to celebrate with feasting. The day of Purim a Jewish festival is celebrated on the
fourteenth day of Adar. Baskets of food (misholoach manot) containing breads, chocolate, dried
fruits, fresh fruits, hamantaschen (Hamans pockets, oznei Haman), and nuts serve as gifts to
other Jews (Gordon-Bennett). The usual custom of reading the megillah is accompanied with a
meal (Purim seudah) where they drink until Talmad (Pelaia). Finalizing the Jewish feast with the
customary gifts to the poor matanot la evyonim (Pelaia). This beautiful account of gastro
diplomacy is exclusive to Esthers story.
Another illustration of gastro diplomacy is from the account of Berzoks own Storied
Dishes. Through her experience, she relates culturally through the art of cooking. With the

Heyl2
mention of our foremothers the elaboration of politics within families, within community, and
within a nation as in relation to food. Berzok gives examples of life lessons while retrieving a
lost history in culture. The lessons in Berzoks book give a way to communicate across cultures
and create a health value for eating better.
I found a value through the participation in producing a meal a pleasurable memory. By
showing someone how to cook, we allow him or her to be included during mealtime. My mother
taught me how to make everything from mayonnaise, to casseroles, and finally, lemon meringue
pie. Baking with grandma, finding traditional recipes like molasses cookies and prune kolaches
made for a treat. Kolaches come from the Czech nationality. People can argue that cooking is
not gastro diplomacy, but food is common ground for people every-where.
Finding a common ground with members from my church through food preparation
produced values in me and turned into a lesson in gastro diplomacy. A recipe exchange at our
church produced good communication between each others culture. The actual performance of
working together in a kitchen extended my food choices and helped broaden communication
through the exchange of food. This is where I learned about kimchee, cold duck soup, con chili
sauce, and fried rice. The experience of cooking a meal together brought an opportunity to bond
and share values. An applicable process in gastro diplomacy is preparing meals together.
One reason to learn from other cultures food preparation is that they cook healthier
foods. Mangos are widely used in international cuisine. The mango is the national fruit of India,
Pakistan, and the Philippines, and the national tree of Bangladesh (India.gov.in.,Kalam).
Learning from other cultures, adding mango to a diet may help reduce fat. These ingredients
combined sour, unripe mangos create a dishes of chutneys athanu, pickles or raw with salt, chili,
or soy sauce (Lakkad). A summer drink called aam panna comes from mangoes (Kapoor). A
marmalade is made of mango pulp made into jelly or cooked with red gram dhal, green chillies
while served with cooked rice (Swathi Says). Curries made in India come from ripe mangoes.

Heyl3
Adding Bok choy to the diet can reduce risks of cancer. Bok choy belongs to the cruciferous type
vegetable and is a classic Chinese vegetable. Bok choy is prepared in stir-fry, soups, and sauces.
A value to health is to learn more about food preparations from around the world using
international foods like mangoes and bok choy.
Many people have never learned to cook healthy foods and rely on the food industry to
entreat them with food comfort. The food industry feeds them with more sugar, fat, and salt than
necessary for a healthy diet. The food industry uses every method of appeal to target audiences.
Zhang mentions food as a nation-branding tool, [in his article], Mapping and Comparing
Contemporary Gastro diplomacy Campaigns the intent of gastro diplomacy inside six nations
has been to host the worlds food industry with their branding theme. Gastro diplomacy is the
participle for the food industrys campaign.
Another participle of the food industrys campaign is the granted funding from the United
States of $40 million [used to promote Korean culinary classes and support] Korean students
through use of grants and scholarships and international food fairs. Korean cuisine [received]
added attention with the local creation of the Korean-taco truck, which gained a culinary cult
status and [began opening] up all over America. Korea [would do well] to promote their growing
brands [across the] plains of America (Rockower). Creating culture through the experience of
food to every American without the distance of overseas. However, a gastro diplomacy campaign
necessitates out of greed this is not a use for healthy eatery.
People might disagree with the idea of trying different cultural foods because of their
color. The color of food can be an indicator for likes and dislikes in food tastes. Generally, most
people do not like burnt food, however I do because of the memory I have of my fathers
cooking was of blackened toast, over-grilled meat, and burnt popcorn. The color of certain
foods in the flavor of diplomacy can acquaint foreign people to extend friendship and values.

Heyl4
Another reason people may not agree with the idea of gastro diplomacy is the seafood
choices like jellyfish, and sea tortoise, or unusual food choices caterpillar, and grasshopper. Not
all people would be able to digest these hot-boxed (causing a digestive problem) culinary
favorites, plum to steam wild and big turtle, caterpillar and clam stew, and steamed
grasshopper although, there are many people who pay a high price for these seafood delicacies.
Countries like China extend tourism and widen their nationality through use of culinary tastes
like jellyfish, sea tortoise, caterpillar, and grasshopper.
Not all people may be in favor of food with certain color, eating seafood delicacies,
preparing their own meals, or getting out of their comfort zone. Some people would rather allow
the food industry to target him or her as industries use gastro diplomacy in disguise to feed their
own greed. Preparing meals together carries health initiative, bonds cultures together by
communicating values, and can be a tool for gastro diplomacy. Gastro diplomacy is a new
cultural movement centered on sharing food. According to James Beard, Food is our common
ground, a universal experience. A tool for diplomacy includes eating healthy by education from
other cultures. Where food is universally common by winning hearts and minds through ones
stomach.

Heyl5

Gastro-diplomacy: Annotated Bibiliography

Azad, Abul Kalam. " Mango Tree, National Tree | Bangladesh | Bdnews24.com. BBC Thompson
Reuters Dueche Wells, 15 Nov. 2010. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
It is true that annotated Bangladesh as the National Tree because of the mango.
Beard, James. James Beard Quote. BrainyQuote. Xplore, 2001. Web.16 Feb. 2016.
Food is our common ground, a universal experience. This is a thematic provision to help
define gastro diplomacy and an argument for my essay.
Berzok, Linda Murray. "Storied Dishes: What Our Family Recipes Tell Us about Who We Are
and Where We've Been | DeepDyve." DeepDyve. Praeger, Nov. 2010. Web. 07 Feb. 2016.
Berzoks book was a satisfying experience in relating who you are in realms of cooking
and food and how she uses recipes, family, and community of stories as a tool for cultural
diplomacy. Berzok has an untold amount of recipes from American to Zen in cultural
experiences. I found the mention of our Foremothers persuaded many emotions about
food and politics within families, within community, and within our nation as related to
food (22-53). Lost Times places a reminder of history of many cultures lost (54-81).
The chapter Restoring Balance explores the experience of simulating from the past
recipes to harvest the art of living after Hurricane Katrina where Berzoks recipe book
was lost. (54-81). There are many Life Lessons to be understood as naematallah or
under the Grace of God experiences, enriched with touches of flavor. I have often
wondered how to make Macarona Bchamel with sauce and baked in a casserole (102127). Bonding Together memories of Hot Milk Cake with Berzoks mother had brought
much change for setting the table for community of meals (128-157). Finally, Coming
Into Our Own was learning how to make latke pancakes, chicken soup, and Madhuri

Heyl6
Chole as simmering as a Wedding in Des Moines Iowa (158-198). I found a flavorful
story in every recipe as I learned about gastro diplomacy. I found this from the Oklahoma
State University Library, particularly because I found similarity with the ideas, I had in
mind for this essay this is a great resource for my essay.
Gordon-Bennett, Chaviva, and Areila Pelaia. "What Are the Four Mitzvot of Purim?" About.com
Religion & Spirituality. About.com, Spring 2016. Web. 19 Feb. 2016.
Both authors are experts on Judaism. In my research for food customs of the Purim
celebrating the honor of Esther annotated book of the Bible; this website contained many
fun facts about this Jewish Holiday.
Lakkad, Darshita. "Mango Pickle - Aam Ka Achar - Keri Nu Athanu." Gujarati Recipes. Creative
Commons Attribution, 11 May 2013. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
An international delight of cuisine using mango.
Na. "Green Moong Dal Recipe | Green Gram Curry Recipe." Swasthis Recipes. SWASTHI.B, 21
Nov. 2014. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
Red gram curry made from India.
Na. "National Fruit." -National Symbols. India.gov.in, 2010. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
National fruit of India.
Rockower, Paul. "The Gastrodiplomacy Cookbook." The Huffington Post.
TheHuffingtonPost.com, Spring 2016. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
Paul Rockower is the Communications Director for Public Diplomacy Corps., and is the
Executive Director of Levantine Public Diplomacy. It is his responsibility to inform and
educate the public of the multi-national campaigns in relation to gastro diplomacy.
Recently Korea and Taiwan have been engaging in culinary diplomacy to increase
recognition of their nation brands. Allowing the use of $40 million funding by the United
States to promote Korean culinary classes and support students through grants and
scholarships. To every American a means to experience culture through food without the
distance of overseas.

Heyl7
Kapoor, SanJeer. "Aam Ka Panna Vegetarian Recipe | Cooking with Love by Master Chef
Sanjeev Kapoor." Sanjeev Kapoor. N.p., 2013/2014. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
Summer mango drink made in India.
Stream, Carol. "Esther 7, New Living Translation (NLT)." Esther 7, New Living Translation
(NLT). Tyndale House Publishing Inc., 2007. Web. 07 Feb. 2016.
The use of culture and diplomacy found on the You Version of the New Living
Translation is spoken through a biblical prospective. Queen Esther invites King Xerxes
and Haman to a banquet where she requests that the King grant her life and the lives of
her people. As Hamans wicked plan to slaughter the Jews was unveiled to Esther through
her relative Mordecai. When the King finds Haman lying on Queen Esthers bed with
hands on her, King Xerxes decides to hang Haman on a pole. There are people who
disagree that the Bible is not a valuable source, however it is applicable because it
illustrates gastro-diplomacy. The source is a New Living Translation. I will use this in my
essay as an example of gastro-diplomacy.
Zhang, Juyan. "The Foods of the Worlds: Mapping and Comparing Contemporary
Gastrodipomacy." International Journal of Communication. (by-nc-nd), 2015. Web. 10
Feb. 2016.
Zhangs article contains many rich resources and examples of gastro-diplomacy and its
intent. He used the (UK State Banquet, 2003), the (Bush and Putin Summit, 2001),
and a common example of President Bush feeding the Chinese president Jiang Zemin
with Southern-fried catfish, barbequed brisket, and pecan pie (Eckholm, 2002, in.
Zhang, 568). Zhang mentioned food as a nation-branding tool where he used the example
of Cafe de Columbia Campaign where Caf de Columbia branded for top-quality
coffee. Similarly, the use of diplomacy branded Argentina as having the best beef and
wine, as they were reported sending beef and wine to Washington DC. Zhang includes
studies that examine the use of food for public diplomacy which have been growing and

Heyl8
has finalized the industrys desire to globalize their cuisine. Many have strategized and
have done well by this diplomacy. Zhang suggests that the use of branding themes is to
target audiences with memorabilia in guise of diplomacy. Messages appeal to all
positions and use overall game plans to campaign as planned to profit. Zhang uses six
nations to compare gastro-diplomacy campaigns as they try to host the world industry,
mapping out their logo and branding theme through messages of appeals. I found this
resource reliable because of Zhangs credentials as a professor. I am not sure how I will
use it, but I probably will use the examples of gastro-diplomacy in this article.

Heyl9

Heyl10

Heyl11

Heyl12

Heyl13

Heyl14