Skip to main content
Log in

Abstract

Gastrodiplomacy, how countries conduct cultural diplomacy through promotion of their cuisine, is an increasing popular strategy for public diplomacy and nation branding. The author examines gastrodiplomacy as a strategy of middle powers trying to create better brand recognition. Numerous middle powers have invested significant capital resources in culinary diplomacy projects to enhance global awareness of their respective cultures as a means to further nation brand status and soft power. This article outlines theoretical distinctions of gastrodiplomacy. It analyzes the strategy and tactics of a variety of gastrodiplomacy campaigns conducted by a range of middle-power states, and examines gastrodiplomacy in the context of people-to-people engagement.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. On history and theories of culinary diplomacy, see Sam Chapple-Sokol's excellent ‘Culinary Diplomacy: Breaking Bread to Win Hearts and Minds’, Hague Journal of Diplomacy (forthcoming). Also Roger Boyes (2010) and the new U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Culinary Partnership Initiative, and Rockower (2012).

  2. See: The Thai Government Public Relations Department, ‘Thai Restaurants Promoted All Over the World’ (26 July 2006); ‘Popularity of Thai Food Overseas’ (26 September 2006); ‘Thai Kitchen to the World Project to Focus on the Principle of Creative Economy’ (29 December 2009), available at: http://thailand.prd.go.th (cf Chapple-Sokol, forthcoming).

  3. See Lesonsky (2010), Restaurant Hospitality (2011), theSqueeze (2012), and Elizabeth Weise (2012).

  4. See: http://taiwanfoodculture.net.

  5. See: http://www.malaysiakitchen.my/

  6. North Korea has also been conducting elements of culinary diplomacy, with branches of state-owned restaurants in Thailand, Laos, Indonesia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Nepal and the UAE. However, North Korea's efforts are excluded from the article as the efforts are perceived more as a means to raise hard currency than to gain soft power. For more on North Korean-run restaurants abroad, see: http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/06/north-korea-run-restaurants-spread-propaganda-and-kimchi-across-asia/239929/1/ and http://www.npr.org/2010/12/31/132491605/dubai-restaurant-offers-a-taste-of-north-korea.

  7. See: http://www.cocinaperuanaparaelmundo.pe/.

References

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Paul S Rockower.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rockower, P. Recipes for gastrodiplomacy. Place Brand Public Dipl 8, 235–246 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1057/pb.2012.17

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/pb.2012.17

Keywords

Navigation