Eating Your Way to Diplomacy

In the cultural buffet that is America, many use food as a passport to get to know their neighbor. While some may argue that it is self-pleasing and passive, eating is a form of cultural diplomacy.

Los Angeles has it's fair share of eateries that are implants to the city. Along Fairfax Avenue, south of Whilshire, there are about a half dozen of Ethiopian restaurants which are owned by natives of the country but are often frequented by curious Angelenos with bold stomachs. 

As they take in the spices, their ears get filled with Ethiopian pop music and eyes take in the vibrant colors of the printed linen that often line the walls which are adorned with pictures of the homeland. 

Digging into the textured dishes with nothing but their bare hands and a slab of enjera (Ethiopian flat bread), visitors often will find a picture Haile Selassie, the beloved Emperor of Ethiopia, staring at them like a hungry Mona Lisa. 

Consumers of the Ethiopian food in L.A. are not only blessed with a great meal but are able to explore a foreign culture and learn about their ritual of eating all in an hour's time. 

In the same way, Angelenos are being turned on to Korean BBQ and the practice of making their own food from raw goods delivered by waiters.

Uncooked beef, pork and chicken are presented to food enthusiast

and in order to eat the food they must barbeque it on a small grill. Much like the Ethiopian presentation of food, the art of Korean BBQ promotes interaction between its guests and is a definite break from normal eating habits. 

Visiting new spices, the pallete gets educated about goods 

available to the Korean people. 

The incorporation of garlic, red peppers, buckwheat noodles, boiled and salted eggs act as ambassadors to their culture. 

It is clear that the exploration of a new culture often begins with tasting foreign food  but it should not end with digestion. In this way, food is only the gateway--a safe invitation to a new world. 

Please click on photo to find its origin.