Diplomacy menu: how food can affect policy
The food is not very visible, but very significant role in diplomatic negotiations. History knows many instances of such examples — from the menu, can spoil the reputation of the President, before the Banquet, where one leader threw up on the other.
Politicians often working late, trying to resolve complex crises, and most likely, you spend a lot of nights without sleep. But, like all people, they need to eat.
This week, two important meetings of politicians (one has already taken place, the second is expected on Friday), and the menu in both cases was paid a lot of attention.
DPRK leader Kim Jong UN meets with South Korean President mun Jae-Otherwise on the first talks between leaders of the two countries since 2007.
The menu will include sea fish, as a reminder moon about his childhood in the port city of Busan, as well as the Swiss potato pancakes — rosti — they should remind Kim Jong Ynu school years, which he believed to be held in Switzerland.
In the United States, French President Emmanuel macron made a state visit — the first visit of such level in America during the presidency of trump.
Trump treated a guest the best dishes of American cuisine, but French cuisine was also noticeable. For example, was served a casserole with goat cheese and rack of lamb in a sauce of fried onions with rice.
Combining menu
Can we assume that Swiss dish for Kim Jong-UN, who is the lover of French cheese and wine, is a deliberate ploy by the South Korean to win his sympathy?
“It’s definitely a tactical move,” says Johanna Mendelson-Forman, visiting Professor at American University in Washington and an expert in the field of culinary diplomacy.
“All menu has fascinated,” says researcher Sep Chapple Sokol, who insists that the food at the summit in every sense helps “set the table” for successful negotiations.
He pointed out that the government of North Korea has never officially confirmed that Kim Jong-UN lived in Switzerland, so “it is a risk and an assumption on the part of the drafters of the menu — that file is is a Swiss dish”.
“Who knows, maybe he’s never eaten it before, or maybe he was more used to fondue or raclette,” he explains.