Private efforts at gastrodiplomacy have also sprouted, including metro Detroit's own Peace Meal Kitchen, a newly launched pop-up dining and education series that highlights cultures from countries with which the U.S. is in conflict.

“You are the symbols of India’s soft power. You are the unofficial ambassadors, the cultural ambassadors,” Indian President Pranab Mukherjee told expatriates in Windhoek, Namibia, last week. The Southwest African nation has barely 300 expatriates, a miniscule part of a 30 million diaspora spread globally that is being rallied as never before. Mukherjee chose this motley group of businessmen and professionals to propose “a new relationship” with the entire continent of Africa. 

The day before the “Brexit” vote, when British citizens will decide whether to remain in the European Union, they were in London initially to pass out croissants fresh off the Paris train to convince their still-European compatriots not to leave the E.U. [...] “Our aim was never to affect votes,” she said. “I think we’re all aware that this campaign has been incredibly divisive, that there’s been so much anger, and we just wanted to do something that had positivity and friendship at its heart.”

Every community in India has its own recipes, spices and cooking techniques. Or regions and states have the same general dish - but with their own unique twist. But food is not just limited to feasting. Indians stay focused on food even when fasting. [...] Indians also use food as a beautiful way of honouring the dead and celebrating life.

Members of Korea's foreign and local media enjoyed a Korean cultural experience hosted by the Senior Public Diplomacy Group (SPDG) at Unni Sarangbang in central Seoul, Friday. Featuring an evening of traditional Korean foods and beverages and instrumental and vocal music performances, guests were also treated to a speech on international cultural events by host Choi Ha-kyung.

The organization aims to share the Brazilian culture with the St. Louis area and emphasizes arts and education, such as sponsoring classes in Portuguese, the official language of Brazil. She said there are an estimated 4,000 people from Brazil in the St. Louis area.

Working in conjunction with the Charlottesville Sister Cities Commission, Tavola has hosted chef Roberta Vivetta Cintelli as part of a cultural exchange program between the sister cities, Tavola and Cintelli’s Ristorante il Falcone. [...] After a week of sightseeing, eating at local restaurants and working (and teaching) at Tavola, Saturday’s event featured a collaboration of dishes created by the two chefs.