We Talked About the Aubergines: international diplomacy and the Cretan diet (original) (raw)
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This review explores the complex interrelations between food, diplomacy, and politics. It examines the emergence of a new field of studies that interrelates diplomacy, food and gastronomic practices, providing attention to academic concepts such as gastropolitics, gastrodiplomacy, culinary diplomacy, and food diplomacy. Arjun Appadurai was the first author to conceptualise this interconnection analysing its semiotics. The paper delves into historical and contemporary reports to trace the development of this transdisciplinary field. Following a comprehensive state-of-the-art approach, the study investigates how nations strategically employ food to enhance soft power, encourage cultural exchange, and promote national identity through food on a global scale. The rapid review outlines the pioneering efforts of countries like France in gastronomic promotion as a way of cultural diplomacy and Thailand and South Korea in gastrodiplomacy, two examples of the materialisations of diplomacy and gastronomic sciences alignment. It highlights food's many roles in public diplomacy, cultural representation, and economic development. Additionally, the paper explores both the role of food in international governance and humanitarian aid as well as in paradiplomacy and protodiplomacy concepts where food promotion and identity are correlated. 86 articles were included in this rapid review through research carried out between March and April 2024. Those articles have been retrieved from Google Scholar, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect.
Examples of Culinary Diplomacy in Late Era Ottoman Diplomacy
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Throughout history, not only have meals served people as a source of nutrition, but they also have served as both an individual and official tool of diplomatic agreement between people. In being representative of the culture and traditions of the host country, they serve to establish effective communication with the counter party, create a positive atmosphere, and strengthen relationships. Today, politicians still employ the unifying effect of meals as one of many tools of diplomacy. Since the dawn of man, many a statesman had employed this method with the intent of giving a positive impression both on friend and foe alike; Ottoman statesmen were no exception to this rule. One can observe many examples of culinary culture having been employed in diplomatic affairs towards the final years of the Ottoman Empire. When we look at banquets that Ottoman Sultans had prepared for their foreign guests, not only do we see that they had offered them the crème de la crème of delicacies highlighting Turkish culinary culture offered, we also see that had been treated to dishes from their own gastronomies as well. Ottoman Sultans had hosted many banquets because of their power to unify, both in terms of foreign and domestic politics. This study has reviewed and exemplified how culinary diplomacy had been used during the late era of Ottoman diplomacy.
Selçuk Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Dergisi, 2023
Throughout history, not only have meals served people as a source of nutrition, but they also have served as both an individual and official tool of diplomatic agreement between people. In being representative of the culture and traditions of the host country, they serve to establish effective communication with the counter party, create a positive atmosphere, and strengthen relationships. Today, politicians still employ the unifying effect of meals as one of many tools of diplomacy. Since the dawn of man, many a statesman had employed this method with the intent of giving a positive impression both on friend and foe alike; Ottoman statesmen were no exception to this rule. One can observe many examples of culinary culture having been employed in diplomatic affairs towards the final years of the Ottoman Empire. When we look at banquets that Ottoman Sultans had prepared for their foreign guests, not only do we see that they had offered them the crème de la crème of delicacies highlighting Turkish culinary culture offered, we also see that had been treated to dishes from their own gastronomies as well. Ottoman Sultans had hosted many banquets because of their power to unify, both in terms of foreign and domestic politics. This study has reviewed and exemplified how culinary diplomacy had been used during the late era of Ottoman diplomacy.