diplomatic culinary partnership

Kass’s theory was that if American chefs could travel to different countries—particularly those with which America has strained relationships—they could use food to humanize Americans, providing an alternative glimpse into American culture than what they were seeing in the news.

Back in September 2012 the U.S. launched a formal program called the Diplomatic Culinary Partnership. As part of this, American chefs are stationed with U.S. embassies in different countries, where they cook different styles of American cuisine and help people in other nations understand the nuances of “American food” beyond hamburgers and pizza.