That bloody 'Mediterranean Diet'.... my Syrian son in law is outraged by it or rather, the exclusion of his country's influence. Where is is the bulgur, sumac, coriander, persimmons, dates, nuts, kefir, okra, freekeh and pomegranate? What about the Mediterranean countries/regions who do not drink wine at all yet manage to stay healthy (until we started bombing them, that is). When it comes to food, the Med-bordering regions are a kind of culinary ombré. It is reductive to try to categorise them in the way a paper once did, referring to Med- Arab cuisines as 'the second Mediterranean diet' which is factually incorrect as well as insulting.
Completely agree with this. There's so many restaurants and takeaways in my neighbourhood owned by fantastic cooks from Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq etc. But they all operate as generic Middle Eastern places and it takes expertise or a knowledgeable dining companion to work out why the Syrians do roast chicken in a particular way or what the difference is between regional variations of kebabs. I'm so curious about the foods of this region and their unique histories and I''d love to know more.
My mother worked at the Japanese Embassy in Australia for 17 years and gastrodiplomacy was definitely one of her jobs there, along with promoting other cultural aspects that help bridge gaps (film festivals for example and helping food travel shows get all the permits they need to film in Japan). One of the embassy's very favourite restaurants is a Japanese restaurant run by a talented Chinese chef who has never been to Japan, but makes incredibly beautiful Japanese food with Australian ingredients, I think this is a great example of what this piece is about.
A lovely piece! Great to see acknowledgement of Normah's and Tukdin in Bayswater, two of my locals and firm favourites. If anyone can swing me an invite to the Malaysia Hall Canteen, I'd be delighted to accompany them there and buy lunch.
What a fantastic piece – explains so much. I can't help wishing the Malaysian government would make more of an effort to cultivate soft power where I live...
“Clearly, being a global hegemon of food culture can make one neurotic.” I cackled!
In all seriousness, I appreciate the connections you made between gastrodiplomacy and gastronationalism. Where do we draw the line, especially when so many cultures have staple “authentic” dishes that exist because of ingredients or influences from different regions and cultures.
“Clearly, being a global hegemon of food culture can make one neurotic.” Here is my point of view as a small scale producer of extra virgin olive oil in the hills of Central Italy. While the Mediterranean diet is a relatively recent American invention, Italian food is made with products which have hundreds, if not thousand years of history and traditions. Italy is engaged in an epic (and almost impossible to win) battle to preserve not only its cuisine but the system of production and the craft that is a fundamental part of the identity of our culture. Calling a food "Italian" capitalizes on this reputation for which many Italians - not only Barilla or De Cecco -have worked hard for generations. I agree that making pasta or pizza with pineapple, canola oil and/or ketchup should be absolutely legal. However, it has nothing to do with the original, it does not further the appreciation of a culture and it should not be called Italian.
Thank you for this.
That bloody 'Mediterranean Diet'.... my Syrian son in law is outraged by it or rather, the exclusion of his country's influence. Where is is the bulgur, sumac, coriander, persimmons, dates, nuts, kefir, okra, freekeh and pomegranate? What about the Mediterranean countries/regions who do not drink wine at all yet manage to stay healthy (until we started bombing them, that is). When it comes to food, the Med-bordering regions are a kind of culinary ombré. It is reductive to try to categorise them in the way a paper once did, referring to Med- Arab cuisines as 'the second Mediterranean diet' which is factually incorrect as well as insulting.
Completely agree with this. There's so many restaurants and takeaways in my neighbourhood owned by fantastic cooks from Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq etc. But they all operate as generic Middle Eastern places and it takes expertise or a knowledgeable dining companion to work out why the Syrians do roast chicken in a particular way or what the difference is between regional variations of kebabs. I'm so curious about the foods of this region and their unique histories and I''d love to know more.
My mother worked at the Japanese Embassy in Australia for 17 years and gastrodiplomacy was definitely one of her jobs there, along with promoting other cultural aspects that help bridge gaps (film festivals for example and helping food travel shows get all the permits they need to film in Japan). One of the embassy's very favourite restaurants is a Japanese restaurant run by a talented Chinese chef who has never been to Japan, but makes incredibly beautiful Japanese food with Australian ingredients, I think this is a great example of what this piece is about.
A lovely piece! Great to see acknowledgement of Normah's and Tukdin in Bayswater, two of my locals and firm favourites. If anyone can swing me an invite to the Malaysia Hall Canteen, I'd be delighted to accompany them there and buy lunch.
What a fantastic piece – explains so much. I can't help wishing the Malaysian government would make more of an effort to cultivate soft power where I live...
Very interesting article, and very interesting reflections.
Really enjoyed reading this piece!
“Clearly, being a global hegemon of food culture can make one neurotic.” I cackled!
In all seriousness, I appreciate the connections you made between gastrodiplomacy and gastronationalism. Where do we draw the line, especially when so many cultures have staple “authentic” dishes that exist because of ingredients or influences from different regions and cultures.
Hello, Tsai is still the president of Taiwan not ex president until May :)
“Clearly, being a global hegemon of food culture can make one neurotic.” Here is my point of view as a small scale producer of extra virgin olive oil in the hills of Central Italy. While the Mediterranean diet is a relatively recent American invention, Italian food is made with products which have hundreds, if not thousand years of history and traditions. Italy is engaged in an epic (and almost impossible to win) battle to preserve not only its cuisine but the system of production and the craft that is a fundamental part of the identity of our culture. Calling a food "Italian" capitalizes on this reputation for which many Italians - not only Barilla or De Cecco -have worked hard for generations. I agree that making pasta or pizza with pineapple, canola oil and/or ketchup should be absolutely legal. However, it has nothing to do with the original, it does not further the appreciation of a culture and it should not be called Italian.