Interview with Johanna Mendelson Forman
Interview with Johanna Mendelson Forman
Food diplomacy, sustainability, chef roles, and culinary heritage.
“Overcoming hatred by coming around the table is a powerful experience.”
In an engaging chat with food diplomat Johanna Mendelson Forman, we uncover the culinary world's secret ingredients: food as a peacemaker, chefs as sustainability warriors, and cooking as a bridge to cultural roots. A delicious blend of impactful stories and personal food journey—truly a feast for thought!
1. As a leading expert in gastro diplomacy and social gastronomy, you have worked in some of the world's most active conflict zones. Could you share a specific example where food has played a significant role in promoting peace?
Food is a bridge. It is a straightforward way to connect people, and a part of a person’s identity. It is essential for survival, and it is portable, even if it is only the memories of a certain food or flavor. In conflict situations when people flee, it is often women who carry the recipes of their homelands with them so that eventually they can replicate them wherever they go.
Two specific cases about food and peacebuilding are relevant. Relations between Turkey and Armenia remain fragile because of the horrific genocide that occurred just before World War I, when soldiers of the Ottoman empire forced Armenians out of Constantinople into Syria. Estimates are that more than one million people died. Fast-forward to the 21st century. A project created by International Alert in 2015 brought together Turkish and Armenian women who lived at the border between these two countries. Anthropologists who participated in this project used food and cooking by both groups to help combat hatred by having the women cook together. What they discovered was that both Turkish and Armenian women prepared the same dishes, albeit each had different names. But the flavors and methods of preparing the meals allowed for a shared experience that promoted dialogue and friendships between two peoples who otherwise did not trust each other.
Overcoming hatred by coming around the table is a powerful experience. Research psychologists affirm that dining together builds stronger relationships. Another experience occurred when the U.S. Delegation to the Iran Nuclear Weapons Talks came together with the Iranian delegation on July 4th in 2015. At a luncheon organized by then Secretary of State John Kerry with his counterpart, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, and their negotiators, the two groups shared a meal of Persian specialties. The lunch was not a negotiation, but a social event. It was the first time that Americans and Iranians had broken bread together in a private setting. Some analysts believe that this specific meal helped advance the talks so that 10 days later a deal was struck between the parties was completed. If not for the food alone, the contact between these two groups allowed for greater social interaction and a sense of their common humanity. We were all hopeful at this time. When the United States withdrew from the treaty in May 2018, tensions with Iran sadly resumed. Those tensions, however, do not negate the power of food to connect and build trust.
2. Your work encompasses various pressing global issues, such as climate change, food waste, sustainability, and global hunger. What role do chefs have in this, and how can they make a difference?
Chefs are trusted by their patrons and the public. That is the first thing to recognize. Chefs have taken this trust beyond the kitchen to also become advocates for the most pressing policy questions of our time. After the United Nations voted in support of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2017, ending hunger by 2030 became a goal. Chefs were asked to sign on to the Chef’s Manifesto to become advocates of practices such as reducing food waste, supporting local agriculture, and becoming global advocates for a hunger-free world. Specifically, chefs became advocates who would practice ways to support a healthier diet. Today, the Chef’s Manifesto, a project of the United Nations and the World Food Program, has informed thousands of people who prepare food on ways to improve our climate and reduce hunger.
3. In the What’s Burning podcast, you mention that Israel is the poster child for making a desert bloom with its advanced technology. Considering that students at the Galilee Culinary Institute will have the opportunity to visit and work with multiple Agri-Tech and Food-Tech companies across Israel, how would you assess the significance of this experience for future culinary leaders?
We live in times where the rate of technological change is difficult to absorb. In the food sector, advances in laboratory-grown proteins – from beef to chicken to fish – are central to solving the challenge of feeding a world that will have nine billion people by 2050. Students at the Galilee Culinary Institute are fortunate to live in a country that has such a vibrant and talented tech sector. Collaborating with scientists and engineers there provides opportunities for chefs to not only help feed future Israelis but also to create possibilities for other countries where people urgently need access to safe, affordable, and healthy food.
4. The Galilee Culinary Institute is in the North of Israel in the beautiful Galilee. This region is known for its rich culinary traditions and diverse cultural heritage. How do you believe being immersed in this environment can benefit and inspire individuals pursuing a career in the culinary arts?
Having a school in one of the regions of Israel with such a rich history can only inspire students to embrace the diverse cultural heritage which the Galilee represents. The Galilee has biblical roots. It is also at the crossroads of different cultures. I am fortunate to have visited the area on both sides of the border. What struck me most was that every person-- Jew, Arab, and Christian-- understood that this sacred land could become a catalyst for creative multinational cuisine by embracing the best of all cultures.
5. Can you share a fun culinary fact about yourself?
I did not learn to cook until I left home. Even though I came from a household of excellent cooks, my mother and grandmother did not allow me to prepare meals. My grandmother and mother oversaw holiday food preparations. I was a mere observer of techniques and ingredients. While I have always been interested in food, especially its history and international connections, it was through my own journey in the kitchen that I truly recognized how powerful food memories were in grounding me in my Jewish heritage and my respect for family traditions.