MODERN GASTRODIPLOMACY IN LATIN AMERICA

Leonid Gelibterman,
President of the International Center of Wine and Gastronomy

Gastrodiplomacy—A new format of interstate relations
The textbook definition runs that gastrodiplomacy is a comprehensive programme aimed at changing and enhancing a country/region’s image and positioning/repositioning through its national/regional cuisine. The term “gastrodiplomacy” first appeared in 2002 in The Economist to describe the Global Thai programme. Gastrodiplomacy leverages national cuisine as a powerful driver of public (cultural) diplomacy, creating a synergy which integrates food, tourism, and diplomacy both in theory and practice. It is worthwhile noting that the role of food and tourism in building and maintaining national branding (positioning) is continually growing.

According to available data, about 30 countries worldwide have state gastrodiplomatic strategies or specific programmes for gastrodiplomacy, but not all are eager to disclose the details of such initiatives. Whatever the case, such diplomacy, emerging as a new format of political and diplomatic interstate relations, seeks to build intercultural understanding, which can strengthen relations between nations and states. Countries engaged in gastrodiplomacy range from so-called middle powers, such as Peru, Mexico, Thailand, and the Republic of Korea, to “superpowers” like the USA, China, India, and France. The goals vary: some aim to enhance the recognition and authority of their national brand and cultural achievements, while others seek to prove and strengthen their global foothold through specialized programmes and projects.

The tools of gastrodiplomacy are actively employed by governments worldwide, e.g. during high-level state events, embassy receptions celebrating national public holidays, and so-called working lunches among state officials from all over the world in both formal and sometimes in-formal settings. This is applied to a limited circle of individuals, primarily state leaders, officials, and diplomats. For instance, at a gala dinner in Buenos Aires, Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner presented Uruguayan President José Mujica with a silver set for mate crafted by Argentine artisans.

One of the most vital tools of gastrodiplomacy is national cuisine restaurants abroad. Cultural and symbolic meanings are conveyed not only through national dishes, but also through what is known as extra-culinary attributes—details of the interior and other aspects not directly related to cuisine, yet influencing the sentiments of visitors. These include national paintings, decorations featuring traditional architectural and design elements, national costumes for staff, national press, and souvenirs. Many former colonial countries open their national restaurants in former metropoles. For example, Madrid boasts over 300 Peruvian restaurants. Many countries develop national restaurants abroad as a kind of outpost of national culture.

«Salud y amor y tiempo para disfrutarlo»

“Health, love and time to enjoy it”

REPUBLIC OF PERU

“We are free! May we always be so!”

National Anthem of the Republic of Peru

When evoking the most vivid examples of global gastrodiplomacy, Peru is often one of the first countries coming to mind. Initially, its gastrodiplomacy aimed to polish the country’s negative image as a dangerous travel destination due to the internal conflict between the Shining Path and the government from 1980 to 1992. In 2006, Peru launched the projects “Peruvian Cuisine—A World Cuisine” (Cocina Peruana del Mundo) and “Peru—Rich in Flavour” (Perú Mucho Gusto). This joint initiative involved the Peruvian government, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture, the Peruvian Society of Gastronomy (APEGA), and several private partners.

The stretch goal was to make Peruvian cuisine as renowned globally as Thai cuisine, particularly in terms of the number of restaurants, and to include it in the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. After two decades, the results are outstanding: in 2023, Peru’s capital Lima was recognized as the fastest-developing city in North and South America in terms of overnight tourist arrivals. Lima is undoubtedly among the cities vying for the title of “gastronomic capital” of the Americas. Chef Gastón Acurio is the most renowned and respected Peruvian chef in the world, serving as the foremost ambassador of Peruvian cuisine. His efforts were instrumental in the Peruvian government hosting the Second Global Forum of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) on Gastronomy Tourism in Lima in 2016, with 2,500 participants.

Owing to the coordinated efforts of formal Peruvian embassies abroad, government programmes, and Peruvian chefs acting as culinary ambassadors in various countries, the country’s cuisine has gained global ground. It is no coincidence that the prestigious World Travel Award has repeatedly recognized Peru as the “World’s Leading Culi nary Destination” from 2012 to 2019, as well as in 2021 and 2022. Russia too has its very own ambassador of Peruvian cuisine—Rashid Rakhmanov, a chef from St. Petersburg. In 2018, the Association of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers of Peru (ARMAP) and the Commission for the Promotion of Peruvian Exports and Tourism (PROMPERU) officially declared Rakhmanov the “Best Ambassador of Peruvian Cuisine in the World.” In 2021, he became the only foreigner to receive the International Inkazteca Awards, which recognizes outstanding Peruvians who have made major contributions to the development of Peruvian culture abroad.

In 2019, the city of Arequipa (Arequipa) joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) of Gastronomy.

In 2022, the restaurant Central in the prestigious Miraflores district of Lima, directed by chef Virgilio Martínez and his partner Pía León, ranked second in the world and was recognized as the best restaurant in Latin America in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. In 2023, it was named the best restaurant in the world, and in 2021, Moscow opened their restaurant Olluco.

The restaurant Maido in Miraflores is directed by Lima native Mitsuharu Tsumura. It showcases Peruvian-Japanese cuisine, known in Peru as “Nikkei.”In the 2022 World’s 50 Best Restaurants ranking, Maido took 11th place and ranked third among the best restaurants in Latin America. In 2023, it rose to sixth place globally, and by 2024—to fifth.

In 2022, H.E. Juan Genaro Del Campo Rodriguez, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Peru to the Russian Federation, delivered a lecture on Peruvian gastrodiplomacy to inter-national relations students at the Institute of Business and Public Administration of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration. As part of my author’s course on “Gastrodiplomacy” and with the support of the Ambassador, the Embassy hosted a presentation and tasting of Peruvian cuisine. Orlando Baldeon, co-owner of the Moscow restaurant Lima, personally conducted a master class on preparing traditional dishes.

With the support of Peru’s Embassy and the personal involvement of the Ambassador, St. Petersburg, Volgograd, Togliatti, Kaluga, and Yaroslavl have already hosted gastronomic dinners exploring Peruvian culture and cuisine.

UNITED MEXICAN STATES

“And Mexico appeared,

a vision inspired,

A land of flowers, sun,

dances, and verses.”

Konstantin Balmont,

“A Liturgy of Beauty,” 1905

Mexican cuisine is one of the most superb in Latin America. The indigenous peoples, predating the arrival of Europeans, gifted the world with turkeys and chocolate. The latter was consumed as a beverage by the Olmecs, who inhabited the coast of the Gulf of Mexico three thousand years ago. Tomatoes, as well as vanilla, also came from these lands.

Mexican cuisine features a variety of sauces, with guacamole, made from avocados, tomatoes, and sweet green chili, being one of the most famous. Mole is a whole family of spicy Mexican sauces. The name “chili” comes from the Aztec word “tchili,” with a history spanning roughly four thousand years. Around 300 varieties of chili are known worldwide, with about 80 types used in Mexican cuisine.

Indigenous gastronomic traditions, blended with European (primarily Spanish), Arab, and Chinese trends, have created the global phenomenon of Mexican cuisine. By definition, Mexican cuisine is rustic. Of note, World Football Cups, particularly in Moscow, have been actively promoting Mexico and its cuisine, renowned for its simple and hearty dishes. This gastronomic direction is reflected in the document “La Política de Fomen.to a la Gastronomía Nacional – 2014.”

Mexican restaurants and chefs consistently rank high in global ratings. According to the global ranking by “San Pellegrino,” the best restaurant in the country is the capital’s Quintonil, named after a Mexican herb that grows in cornfields. It is led by the passionate chef Jorge Vallejo, who, together with his wife Alejandra Flores, brought their establishment to seventh place in the 2024 world ranking.

Another world-renowned restaurant in Mexico City is Pujol, managed by chef Enrique Olvera. As gastronomy critics note, he successfully blended street food into the restaurant setting, and in 2021, the publicly complimented Pujol was recognized as the best restaurant in North America. In 2022, it was named the best restaurant in Mexico and ranked seventh among Latin American restaurants. In 2023, the restaurant took 13th place globally, and in 2024, it ranked 33rd. Enrique Olvera is arguably the most famous Mexican chef in the world today. His worldwide popularity is reflected in the Netflix documentary series “Chef’s Table,” where he starred. Olvera also owns high-end restaurants in Oaxaca, Los Cabos, San Miguel de Allende (Mexico), and New York.

Restaurant Rosetta ranked 34th in the 2024 global ranking. With a university degree in English literature, its chef Elena Reygadas offers her guests a unique blend of Mexican and Italian cuisine. In 2022, she joined the Advisory Board of the renowned Basque Culinary Center in San Sebastián, Spain.

Chef Margarita Carrillo Arronte serves as an ambassador of Mexican cuisine worldwide. She graduated from Mexico’s most prestigious university, the National Autonomous University of Mexico, studied culinary arts at the Culinary Institute of the Americas, and attended Le Cordon Bleu academy. She is an author, lecturer, TV host, and participant of major gastronomic fora and conferences across North and South America.

In 2010, “Traditional Mexican Cuisine—Ancestral, Ongoing Community Culture, the Michoacán paradigm” was inscribed on UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. In 2019, the city of Mérida (Yucatán), and in 2015, the city of Ensenada (Baja California) joined the UCCN of Gastronomy.

Russia and Mexico share long-standing friendly ties, and the Russian language is taught in more than twenty-five Mexican university centers. The world’s first female ambassador, Alexandra Kollontai, served as Russia’s plenipotentiary and trade representative to Mexico from 1926. In 1944, she was awarded the Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle.

In June 2024, the sixth meeting of the Russian-Mexican Joint Commission on Cultural Cooperation was held, cochaired by Mikhail Shvydkoy, the Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for International Cultural Cooperation, and Gloria Sandoval Salas, the Executive Director of the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Mexican States. They signed the Program of Cooperation in the Field of Culture, Education, Youth Policy, and Sports for 2024–2026.

As a member of the commission, I prepared the section “Promotion and Preservation of Cultural Gastronomic Heritage” for both parties to sign. This section includes a wide range of initiatives to develop mutual gastronomic tourism, such as the “Russian Gastronomic Week” in Mexico and the “Mexican Gastronomic Week” in Russia, bilateral cooperation to enhance expertise and exchange experts in gastronomy, and a joint programme to promote the international concept of “Pacific Cuisine.”

In 2023, H.E. Eduardo Villegas Mejías, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Mexican States, delivered a lecture on Mexican gastrodiplomacy to students of the Faculty of International Relations at IBS RANEPA.

REPUBLIC OF COLOMBIA

“Freedom and Order”

National Motto

In the first millennium AD, before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in 1499, the territory of modern Colombia was marked by the Muisca culture (Andean region) and the Tairona culture (in the north, near the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta range). These two cultures are an integral part of “Chibcha Muisca,” an agrarian culture based on corn, potatoes, beans, tomatoes, squash, cotton, tobacco, coca, pineapple, guava, and various other crops. The flavours of Colombian cuisine blend the gastronomic traditions of indigenous peoples and Spaniards, with influences from African cuisine. French and British traditions have also contributed to the Colombian cuisine.

The international ranking by “San Pellegrino & Acqua Panna” of 2022 named the Bogotá bistro El Chato as the best restaurant in Colombia and ranked it fifth in Latin America. This was just the prologue of chef Álvaro Clavijo’s story—in 2024 he ranked 25th in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Another Colombian culinary star is chef Leonor Espinosa. In 2022, she won the title of the World’s Best Female Chef, and in 2024, her restaurant Leo (Bogotá) ranked 53rd in the global rankings. The Cartagena-based restaurant Celele, directed by chefs Jaime Rodríguez Camacho and Sebastián Pinzón Giraldo, placed 19th in the 2022 ranking of Latin American restaurants, and due to its dedication to local cuisine secured the title “Proyecto Caribe Lab.”

Overall, Colombia, with its top-ranking national cuisine, is one of the leading Latin American destinations in gastronomic tourism. The country has achieved impressive results largely under the Strategic Plan for the Creation of the National Gastronomic Tourism Product for 2014–2018. In 2024, as part of the “Cultural Diplomacy Strategy” of Colombia’s Foreign Ministry, Colombian chef Luciana Calle visited Russia and participated in the international project “GastroCamp Yaroslavl—2024.” She also served as chef for the gala dinner “Flavors of Colombian Pacific Cuisine,” held in Moscow in collaboration with the International Center of Wine and Gastronomy and convened within the initiative of the Embassy of the Republic of Colombia.

The Dominican cuisine features a blend of European, African, and indigenous Taíno recipes. A distinctive feature of local cuisine is the extensive use of legumes, various vegetables (including exotic ones), and bananas in unique combinations with meat and fish. While a wide array of spices is used, they are applied judiciously, enhancing rather than overpowering the natural flavors of the ingredients. The Dominican Republic’s government believes that gastronomy is a driver of economy, tourism, and a creative incentive. Thus, promoting it is a key objective of the “special diplomacy” (including gastrodiplomacy) pursued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic.

In 2024, chef Roxanna Fondeur Zaiter and pastry chef Hanoi Vásquez visited Russia within this initiative, and under the auspices of the International Diplomatic Gastronomic Club conducted an author’s dinner featuring Dominican cuisine, where they introduced guests to the gastronomic traditions of this Latin American country. Chef Roxanna Fondeur Zaiter and the confectioner Hanoi Vásquez pre-pared the gastronomic part of the press breakfast of H. E. Ramon Alejandro Arias Zarzuela, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Dominican Republic to the Russian Federation, for representatives of the leading Russian media.