PROJECTING NIGERIA’S SOFT POWER THROUGH CULINARY DIPLOMACY
Abstract
Culinary diplomacy, also referred to as gastrodiplomacy, involves using cuisine to communicate culture in a public diplomacy context. While many countries are using their cuisines to project power around the world, African countries are not yet exploiting culinary diplomacy as a tool of international relations, despite the fact that the continent can boast of myriad of cuisines peculiar to its various cultures. This paper examines the concept of culinary diplomacy and the role cuisines play in diplomacy. It advocates that Nigeria (and by extension, other African countries) should embrace the exporting of the country’s culinary heritage in an effort to project its image, thereby encouraging economic investment and trade, and engaging with members of the international community on a cultural and personal level. ÂReferences
Appadurai, A. (1988). “How to Make a National Cuisine: Cookbooks in Contemporary Indiaâ€. Comparative Studies in Society and History, Vol. 30, no. 1, January 1988.
Ayakoroma, B. F. (2012). “Diasporans As Agents In The Promotion Of Nigeria’s Cultural Diplomacy: A Food For
Thoughtâ€. Keynote Address delivered at the New Yam Festival organised by Nzuko Umuigbo Berlin, on 22nd,
September, 2012, in Berlin, Germany. Available at:http://www.nico.gov.ng/index.php/category-list-2/283-diasporans-as-agents-in-the-promotion-of-nigeria-s-cultural-diplomacy, accessed, 28 January, 2017.
Ayibiowu, S. (2016). “World Jollof rice day: basic facts about jollof riceâ€. The Nation, 22 August 2016. Available at:
http://thenationonlineng.net/world-jollof-rice-day-basic-facts-jollof-rice/, accessed, 28 January, 2017.
Bátora, J. (2006). “Public Diplomacy between Home and Abroad: Norway and Canadaâ€. The Hague Journal of
Diplomacy, Vol. 1, no. 1, 2006, pp. 53-80.
Bestor, T. (2014). “Most Flavored Nation Status: The Gastrodiplomacy of Japan’s Global Promotion of
Cuisineâ€, Public Diplomacy Magazine, Issue 11, (Winter): 57-63.
Boykins, J. V. (2016). “Culinary Diplomacy: How Food Bridges Divides and Forges Peaceâ€. Available at:
https://nationsandstates.com/2016/09/29/culinary-diplomacy-how-food-bridges-divides-and-forges-peace/accessed, 28 January, 2017.
Chapple-Sokol, S. (2013). “Culinary Diplomacy: Breaking Bread to Win Hearts and Minds.†The Hague Journal of
Diplomacy, Vol. 8, pp. 161-83. Available at: https://culinarydiplomacy.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/breaking-bread-to-win-hearts-and-minds.pdf, accessed, 28 January, 2017.
Consulate General of Nigeria, Atlanta Georgia (n.d.) “Nigerian Cultureâ€. Available at: http://nigeria-consulate-atl.org/nigerian-culture/accessed, 28 January, 2017.
Demetriou, D. (2013). “Japanese cuisine gets UNESCO heritage statusâ€. Available at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/10496326/Japanese-cuisine-gets-UNESCO-heritage-statusj.html, accessed, 28 January, 2017.
Farrer, J. (2015). “Introduction: Traveling Cuisines in and out of Asia : Toward a Framework for Studying Culinary
Globalizationâ€, in Farrer, J. (ed.).The Globalization Of Asian Cuisines: Transnational Networks And Culinary
Contact Zones.NY : Palgrave Macmillan.
Jacobsen, J. K. (2008) “The Food and Eating Experienceâ€, in Sundbo, J. and Per Darmer (eds). Creating
Experiences in the Experience Economy. Glos: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited.
Kalin, I. (2012). “Soft Power and Public Diplomacy in Turkeyâ€. Perceptions, Autumn 2011, Volume XVI, Number 3, pp.
-23. Available at:http://sam.gov.tr/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ibrahim_kalin.pdf , accessed, 28 January, 2017.
Koleosho, F. (2013). “Nigerian Food.... Look Again!†Available at:
http://funke-koleosho.blogspot.com.ng/2013/02/nigerian-foodlook-again.html, accessed, 29 January, 2017.
McCann, J.C. (2009). Stirring the Pot: A History of African Cuisine. Athens: Ohio University Press.
Moskin, J., (2009). “Cultural Diplomacy with a Side of Kimchi.†The New York Times, September 23, 2009 (Global
Edition). Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/23/dining/23kore.html?_r=0;, accessed, 28 January,
Nye, J. (2008). “Public Diplomacy and Soft Powerâ€. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social
Science, 616(1), pp. 94–109. Available at:http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0002716207311699.
accessed, 28 January, 2017.
Oderinde, B. (2015). “The Nigerian Versus Ghanaian Jollof Rice Debateâ€. Available at:
https://www.bellanaija.com/2015/07/busayo-oderinde-the-nigerian-versus-ghanaian-jollof-rice-debate/,
accessed, 28 January, 2017.
Ogunesan, T. (2016). “Oyo to host Amala fiesta December, unveils logo, ambassadorâ€. Available at:
http://tribuneonlineng.com/oyo-host-amala-fiesta-december-unveils-logo-ambassador/accessed, 30 January, 2017.
Patel, Z. (2014). “Chefs are the New Diplomatsâ€. Available at:
http://epaper.brecorder.com/story2pdf.php?id=439001&ed=2014-07-06. accessed, 28 January, 2017.
Pham, M. J. (2013). “Food as Communication: A Case Study of South Korea’s Gastrodiplomacyâ€. Journal of
International Service, 22(1), 1–22.
Reynolds, C. J. (2012). “The Soft Power of Food: A Diplomacy of Hamburgers and Sushi?†Food Studies: An
Interdisciplinary Journal, Vol 1. Issue 2. Pg 47-60.
Rockower, P. S. (2012a). “Setting the Table for Diplomacyâ€. Available at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-rockower/setting-the-table-for-dip_b_1904521.html, accessed, 29 January, 2017.
Rockower, P. S. (2012b). “Recipes for Gastrodiplomacyâ€. Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Volume 8, Number 3, 1 August 2012, pp. 235-246. Available at: http://publicdiplomacymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/pb201217_AOP-1-copy.pdf, accessed, 29 January, 2017.
Savarin, B. (1825) “La Physiologie du Goût, ou Méditations de Gastronomie Transcendanteâ€, first published 1825,
trans. M.F.K. Fisher, reprinted (1949), The Physiology of Taste, New York (Limited Editions Club); or (1971)
New York:Alfred A. Knopf.
Sokoh, O. (2016). “World Jollof Rice Day 2016â€. The Guardian, 21 August 2016. Available at:
http://guardian.ng/features/world-jollof-rice-day-2016/, accessed, 28 January, 2017.
Strugar, T. (2016) “Eastern Gastrodiplomatic Efforts: Asian Nations As Pioneers In The Use Of Cuisine In Cultural
Diplomacy.†Available at: http://igcat.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/01_EASTERN_GASTRODIPLOMATIC_EFFORTS.pdf, accessed, 28 January, 2017.
Tellström, R., I.B. Gustafson and C. Fjellström (2003), ‘Food culture as a political tool – meal construction during the Swedish EU Chairmanship 2001’, Food Service, June, 3(2), 89–96.
Tuch, H. N. (1990). Communicating with the world: U.S. public diplomacy overseas. New York: St. Martin’s.
Vanhaleweyk, G. (2016) “Tourist Arrivals to Thailand by Nationality, 2002 and 2012â€. Available at:
http://www.thaiwebsites.com/tourists-nationalities-Thailand.asp, accessed, 30 January, 2017.
Wilson, R. (2011). “Cocina Peruana Para El Mundo: Gastrodiplomacy, the Culinary Nation Brand, and the Context of National Cuisine in Peru.†Exchange: The Journal of Public Diplomacy, Vol 2, pp. 13-20.
Wolf, E. (2006). Culinary Tourism: The Hidden Harvest. Lowa: Kendall Hunt Publishing.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright is owned by the journal.
