| “If you cook for somebody and they eat your food, that’s where politics ends.”
So says Israeli chef Dr. Nof Atamna-Ismaeel, the founder of a food festival in Haifa, Israel. The festival brings together Arab and Israeli chefs, and it is now the subject of a new documentary, “Breaking Bread.”
The documentary depicts Atamna-Ismaeel as she brings 70 chefs together for the food festival. The chefs swap kitchens—Israelis leading Arabic kitchens, Arabs leading Israeli kitchens. This, of course, is not just a reality-show style gag. Far from hijinx that must take place before the next commercial break, this swapping is an act of peacemaking amidst decades of Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“This phenomenon of using food to foster peace has a new term: cuisine diplomacy,” explains CT writer Laura Finch. “And it’s not just for state dinners. Researchers have learned via the exposure effect that familiarity breeds liking, so it makes sense that culinary exchange would foster peace and understanding.”
Whether you love to cook or have the phone number for the local Domino’s on speed dial, food is one of the God-given resources you have for inviting others into peace. From the relief of taking a bite during a tense family discussion to the joy of co-gushing over a delectable dessert with friends, food offers us the opportunity to share an experience even if we share nothing in common. And it reminds us of the Bread of Life, our eternal sustenance, who fills us with every good thing—including that taco you literally dream about—and delights in doing so. |
