Guillaume Gomez, ex-chief of the kitchens of the Élysée, sums up the situation with lucidity: “Fifty years ago, all heads of state wanted a French chief; Today they favor a local chief“.
How France makes its gastronomy a negotiation tool: “Give me good cooks, I will make you good treaties”
Thailand, often cited as an example, was one of the first countries to assume a radiation strategy based on the gastronomic argument. As early as 2002, with the Thai global program, she implemented a conquering influence policy, relaunched last December with the “Promotion of Soft Power On Food” strategy aimed at “Use Thai cuisine as a cultural ambassador to stimulate the country’s soft power“. The success is there: multiplication of Thai restaurants abroad, increase in the number of tourists, strengthening the image of the country.
South Korea launched, in 2009, its program “Korean Cuisine to the World”. A year later, the “Kimchi War” – a dish made from fermented cabbage and spice – burst with China, which claims the Chinese identity of the Korean emblematic dish. Seoul retaliated by a global campaign to promote Kimchi, which has become a symbol of Korean culture. Peru, carried by chefs like Gastón Acurio, is now essential as one of the swinging hearts on the gastronomic planet. More recently, Australia and Senegal have also displayed their ambition to make gastrodiplomacy a lever of attractiveness and radiation.
“The White House had told me that Donald Trump loved pizza, burgers and ribs. It was in my mind”
France no longer has the monopoly of taste
From 2016, Paul Bocuse recalled in the Géoeconomie journal that “Registration for the intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO of the gourmet meal of the French should not hide reality: eight kitchens and culinary traditions have also been honored“. Among them, the Mediterranean diet, traditional Mexican cuisine, Korean Kimchi (still him), traditional Japanese cuisine, Arabic coffee, Turkish coffee, Armenian lavash or the Georgian method of old -fashioned vinification in amphorae.
France can continue to seduce taste buds around the world, but it no longer has the monopoly of taste.
“France must create iconic dishes as Japan has done with sushi. Our veal blanquette cannot spread everywhere!”
