This week has been an apocalypse of emotions. The world changed overnight and just scrolling through social media feels like sitting at the most charged dinner table of all time. But regardless of where you stand politically, one universal truth is that “people gotta eat.” 

Another truth? Nothing brings people together quite like sharing a meal. 

That’s why this week’s newsletter is all about Culinary Diplomacy—What it is, how it works, its role throughout history, and how to put it into practice when everything else feels totally out of control. (I’ve also included a few recipes for easy comfort foods and simple stress baking that might come in handy this week.)

ICYMI, my name’s Saanya Ali and I’m the founder of SOIRÉE, a platform, supper club, newsletter, and social community dedicated to reviving the “lost art of entertaining” and making food, and the culture around it, FUN…as it should be. Follow along on TikTok, and Instagram for more video deep dives!

What is culinary diplomacy?

Culinary diplomacy is the use of food as an instrument for creating cross-cultural understanding. It's what happens when you realize that before solving the world's problems, we should probably break bread together. After all, it's significantly harder to maintain prejudices when you're sharing a meal with someone and discovering you both have strong opinions about whether pineapple belongs on pizza or that it’s against the law to snap spaghetti.

This isn't a new concept. From a 300,000-year-old hearth—the oldest ever found—to Aristotle discussing how Greek city-states used shared meals to foster amity before negotiations, food has always been humanity's greatest diplomat.

Food may seem like a modest foundation for building world peace, but it's our most fundamental shared need. It possesses a unique ability to break down cultural, political, social, linguistic, and historical barriers. No matter who you are or where you grew up, food serves as common ground for shared stories and experiences. It gives space to battle long held stereotypes and misconceptions and pave way for uniquely open understanding and dialogue. 

The science of breaking bread

This isn’t all just woo woo, kumbaya, and handshakes though. There’s science behind how culinary diplomacy works. When you share a meal with someone:

• Your body releases oxytocin—the same hormone that bonds mothers to babies

• Studies show people experience cardiac synchronization—your heartbeats literally start to match

• The experience creates a neurologically relaxed environment for open conversation.

From the dinner table to the world stage

Ok, I get how this works at the Thanksgiving dinner table, but what does this mean for the world?

Thailand

In 2001 Thailand had a gastrodiplomacy revolution when the government launched an ambitious plan to transform their global image through food. Within seven years, Pad Thai became a household name and Thai restaurants around the world doubled. But this wasn't just about restaurants—it was a comprehensive strategy involving chef certifications, special visa programs for culinary professionals, and extensive training initiatives. Tourism exploded from 10 million visitors in 2001 to nearly 40 million by 2019, making Thailand the eighth most visited country in the world. People who had never met someone from Thailand were getting to know Thai culture and outdated stereotypes were being replaced by a love for the cuisine.

Peru

Peru experienced a similar culinary rise in the 2010s when it transformed into a global gastronomic destination through a focused campaign celebrating its unique fusion of Indigenous, European, and Asian influences. One diplomat noted that, "People might not be able to tell you much about the history of Peru, but they know what ceviche is." Publications from The Economist to The Wall Street Journal began touting Peru as a must-visit destination for foodies.

Japan

In 2014, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took President Obama to the legendary Sukiyabashi Jiro in an event the press called “The Sushi Summit.” This wasn't just a meal—it was a carefully choreographed diplomatic event that showcased Japan's dedication to culinary perfection and tradition and Obama called it the best sushi he’d ever had. The Japanese government even appointed "sushi ambassadors" to ensure authentic Japanese cuisine was being properly represented abroad, recognizing that each perfectly crafted piece of sushi could serve as a tiny ambassador for Japanese culture.

South Korea

South Korea's kimchi diplomacy emerged as a masterclass in cultural promotion through fermentation. The government invested heavily in research institutes dedicated to kimchi, standardized recipes for international markets, and even successfully lobbied UNESCO to recognize kimchi-making as an intangible cultural heritage. This strategic promotion of a single iconic dish opened doors for broader appreciation of Korean cuisine, leading to the global popularity of everything from bulgogi to bibimbap. The rise of Korean food paralleled—and arguably helped fuel—the global surge of interest in Korean popular culture, demonstrating how culinary diplomacy can serve as a gateway to broader cultural exchange.

Comfort foods around the world

In times of uncertainty, every culture turns to its comfort foods. These dishes do more than satisfy hunger—they remind us who we are, where we come from, and most importantly, that we're not alone. From ancient bread-breaking rituals to Robert Falcon Scott's Antarctic feast in 1902, sharing food has always been part of the human story.

But what foods? Below are five comfort food recipes from around the world that have been bringing people together for generations:

Congee (China/East Asia)

• 1 cup jasmine rice

• 8 cups chicken stock

• Ginger, sliced

• Salt to taste

• Optional toppings: scallions, soy sauce, sesame oil, century egg, pork floss

Recipe

Caldo Verde (Portugal)

During the 2008 financial crisis, Portuguese communities kept their spirits up by hosting weekly caldo verde suppers. Everyone brought what they could—some kale, a potato, a piece of chorizo.

• Potatoes

• Onion and garlic

• Kale

• Chorizo

• Olive oil

• Salt and pepper

Recipe

Matzo Ball Soup (Jewish)

• 4 eggs

• 1 cup matzo meal

• 1/4 cup schmaltz (chicken fat) or oil

• 1/4 cup chicken broth

• Salt and pepper

• Clear chicken soup for serving

Recipe

Dal (South Asia)

• Red lentils

• Turmeric, cumin seeds, mustard seeds

• Onion, garlic, ginger

• Tomatoes

• Ghee

• Fresh cilantro

Recipe

Mac and Cheese (American South)

• Sharp cheddar and multiple other cheeses

• Elbow macaroni

• Milk and butter

• Breadcrumbs

• Secret ingredient: a tiny bit of mustard powder

Recipe

Why we stress bake

But what about sweets? Why does it feel like this week and during the pandemic and during other times of large scale turmoil, everyone starts baking? Well, remember in chemistry class when they taught us about control variables? Turns out, that's why baking feels so therapeutic when everything else feels out of control. When things in the world feel up in the air and uncertain, people seek out things that provide comfort and control.

This is why everyone made a sourdough starter in 2020, why banana bread recipes surged during the 2008 financial crisis, why Victory Gardens were paired with Victory Cakes during WWII, using creative substitutions for rationed ingredients, and The Great Depression saw the rise of "Depression Cake" (or "Wacky Cake")—a recipe born out of necessity that used no eggs, milk, or butter.

On top of that, when we bake, our brains release a cocktail of feel good neurotransmitters—

• Dopamine: The "reward" hormone that kicks in when you pull a perfect loaf from the oven

• Serotonin: Released by the carbohydrates in that cookie (or cookie dough)

• Oxytocin: The "love" hormone that spikes when you share your baked goods with others

Plus, the repetitive motions of kneading dough or whisking batter create a meditative state similar to what you'd achieve in a yoga class. Baking gives structure to chaos and requires your full attention, so you can’t doom scroll while doing it. All of this is part of Culinary Therapy, which I wrote a whole letter on a few months ago!

Looking forward

In the 1950s, a group of Alabama women baked and sold pies, cookies, cakes, and other pastries in beauty salons and on street corners to help fund the Montgomery bus boycott. Founder, Georgia Gilmore called it "Club From Nowhere" because when asked where the money came from, activists would say "from nowhere." Decades later, when protesters gathered during Occupy Wall Street, a supporter from Egypt ordered $2,000 worth of pizza for everyone there. The news coverage of this "Pizza Diplomacy" generated international solidarity for the movement. The CIA even has an entire program dedicated to culinary diplomacy.

Though it may feel like we're living in the most challenging times and every day brings headlines that make us want to retreat to our corners, we still have to eat. And as long as we have to eat, we might as well do it together.

Food reminds us of our shared humanity. Whether it's debating if a hot dog is a sandwich or discovering your political opposite shares your passion for soy sauce on vanilla ice cream, these moments of connection matter. They create space for empathy, understanding, and the potential for a path forward.

"To break bread together"—a phrase as old as the Bible—captures the power of a meal to forge relationships, bury anger, and provoke laughter. That's what we need.