Vol. 16 No. 2 (2025)
Studies

Diplomacy on the Table: Gastrodiplomacy 1.

PDF (Magyar)
Ágnes Környei
associate professor, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, PPCU
DOI: https://doi.org/10.61177/HISZ.2025.16.2.9

Published 15-12-2025

Keywords

  • food diplomacy,
  • culinary diplomacy,
  • gastrodiplomacy,
  • gastronationalism,
  • national image,
  • cultural diplomacy

Copyright (c) 2025 Ágnes Környei

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

From the earliest stages of human history, food has played a significant role in human interactions, whether in the context of geographical discoveries, colonization, or globalization. National cuisine constitutes an integral part of culture—serving as a manifestation of national identity through traditional dishes and distinctive culinary practices—while deeply embedded in historical trajectories and geographical specificities serving as a powerful instrument for the transmission of a unique culture and cultural heritage, capable of creating emotional connections beyond linguistic boundaries. As food often serves as a symbol of the nation and fosters emotional attachment, disputes can emerge concerning the ownership and cultural attribution of particular culinary traditions. Within the sphere of diplomacy, gastronomy operates on multiple dimensions: on the one hand targeting the narrow circle of diplomats, politicians (culinary diplomacy), while on the other, addressing the broader foreign publics (gastrodiplomacy), contributing to the construction and projection of national image.

PDF (Magyar)

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