“Interculinary” Dialogue: The Kitchen as an “Unconditional Space” For Intercultural Dialogue and Political Awareness

Abstract

There are two things that are basic, inherent parts of human daily life, that are both commonly misunderstood—food and conflict. Food, one of the most important parts of human life is oftentimes seen as mundane and unimportant. And conflict is seen as something negative that must be avoided at all costs. Combining three disciplines in this master’s dissertation, I have come to the conclusion that we should see these common perceptions in a different way. Conflict allows for the opportunity for change, transformation and growth, and an understanding of the importance of food to human identity makes way for the possibility to combine this room for change and the expression of identity through cuisine. In that way, I believe that using the exchange of cuisine from different cultures to create intercultural awareness can foster intercultural dialogue.