ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Polit. Sci.
Sec. International Studies
Volume 7 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpos.2025.1669350
This article is part of the Research TopicThe New Geopolitical Landscape: Blocs, Values, and Global UncertaintiesView all articles
Power for dinner. Culinary diplomacy and geopolitical aspects in Portuguese diplomatic tables (1910-2023).
Provisionally accepted
- 1Basque Culinary Center, San Sebastián, Spain
- 2Turismo de Portugal, Lisbon, Portugal
- 3Instituto Politecnico de Coimbra Escola Superior de Educacao de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- 4Universidad Internacional de La Rioja, Logroño, Spain
- 5Escola Superior de Hotelaria e Turismo do Estoril, Estoril, Portugal
- 6International Commission on the Anthropology of Food and Nutrition - Spain & Portugal, Lisbon, Portugal
- 7Center for Research in Anthropology - CRIA NOVA /FCSH - IN2PAST, Lisbon, Portugal
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This paper examines how diplomatic meals in Portugal (1910-2023) have been shaped by Portuguese foreign policy and geopolitical contexts, and conversely, how Portuguese gastronomic culture has been leveraged as a culinary diplomacy and geopolitical rapprochement strategy. Framed within the theory of international relations, this paper examines how these meals promote transnational political relations, foreign affairs, and project Portuguese identity and soft power through national gastronomy. Employing qualitative methods, the research analyses meal environments, highlighting the historical and cultural significance of the dining experience. The findings reveal five distinct types of diplomatic meals, demonstrating that culinary practices have facilitated diplomatic negotiations while providing opportunities for cultural exchange and political messaging. Although a clear culinary diplomacy strategy was not identified, this study enhances our understanding of the influence of transnational gastronomy on diplomacy, illustrating how national cuisines can be strategically employed to bolster a country’s global standing.
Keywords: gastropolitics, culinary soft power, Diplomatic relations, transnational relations, culinary diplomacy
Received: 19 Jul 2025; Accepted: 29 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Cabral, Lavrador, Orduna and Moreira. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Óscar Cabral, Basque Culinary Center, San Sebastián, Spain
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