Conflict Cuisine® brings public diplomacy and foreign policy out of the ivory tower and into everyday life—at the dinner table. Using food as a universal language, the project explores how cuisine shapes power, identity, conflict, and peace in our interconnected world.
Grounded in the fields of **gastrodiplomacy** and **social gastronomy**, Conflict Cuisine examines food as far more than sustenance. Food can elevate a country’s global standing, build bridges across cultural divides, support peacebuilding, and—at times—become a tool of conflict. It is also central to questions of food security and to the contributions of immigrant and refugee communities whose cuisines have transformed local food cultures.
Founded by leading scholar and practitioner Dr. Johanna Mendelson Forman, Conflict Cuisine began as a course at American University’s School of International Service. The class—Conflict Cuisine®: An Introduction to War and Peace Around the Dinner Table—examined how diaspora food cultures in Washington, D.C. reflect conflicts around the globe and reveal food’s enduring role as a form of power. The course continues to be offered to campuses, organizations, and communities worldwide.
Over time, Conflict Cuisine has grown into a global resource hub that brings together the lived experiences of chefs, restaurateurs, activists, policymakers, and scholars. Through research, teaching, public events, and storytelling, the project highlights how food fosters resilience in times of crisis and offers insight into the cultural roots behind the dishes we share.
At its core, Conflict Cuisine invites everyone—experts and the public alike—to see food differently: as a pathway to understanding the world, honoring diverse communities, and imagining more inclusive and peaceful futures. We look forward to continuing this conversation with you.
