President Nixon and Premier Zhou Enlai Eating a Chinese Course Meal from: "Nixon and Chopsticks." Celestial Peach.
Historical Context
What is Soft Power?
Harvard Professor Joseph Nye's Comments on Soft Power
from: Foreign Policy Association, "Joseph Nye – On Soft Power." Youtube.
What is Gastrodiplomacy?
President Obama and Anthony Bourdain at a Restaurant in Vietnam
from: "Celebrity chef relives Obama's street food experience in Hanoi." VN Express International.
Gastrodiplomacy can be used as a soft power tool to enhance multicultural communication.
“Food is a catalyst, not only for families to come together, but sharing a meal often creates an environment for business partners, co-workers, community leaders, and educators to exchange ideas for a purpose far greater than basic nutrition. It is an important tool in building cultural understanding, and in turn, breaking down traditional barriers by providing insight into a culture that might otherwise be unknown to a person”
- Alhinnawi (2011)
Countries have shared their own cultures through various strategies, one of the most notable being their cuisine.
Paul Rockower first coined the term gastrodiplomacy, defining it as:
“A method of reaching hearts and minds through people’s stomachs.”
- Wallin (2013)
This term has become a common part of the lexicon in the last decade and has been utilized by various countries as a soft-power instrument for boosting their public image.
Later Sam Chapple-Sokol gave a more precise definition:
“The use of food and cuisine as an instrument to create a crosscultural understanding in the hopes of improving interactions and cooperation”
- Chapple-Sokol (2012)
Thesis
Goan 'Vindaloo' or 'Kari'