Gastrodiplomacy

Food is serious business. So serious it’s got officials sniveling, lawsuits filed and international commissions dragged into food fights. Here’s an AJ+ list of foods that have caused world bickering:

Kimchi conflicts

The spicy pickled veggie dish has had South Korea, Japan and China up in arms over its origins. But to stake its claim Korea got UNESCO to name “Kimjang,” the Korean culture of collectively making kimchi, as an “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” in 2013. Eat that Japan and China.

Sausage strife

A spicy sausage feud has had Slovenia, Austria and Croatia stewing. Austria and Slovenia ended to their conflict in 2012 by accepting each other’s products. But Croatia objects to Slovenia’s attempt to get its Krainer sausage EU special protected status. That issue is still tied up in the EU commission.

Who did raw first?

Apparently fighting over borders and waters isn’t enough for Singapore and Malaysia. The countries are also feuding over a Lunar New Year delicacy of raw fish and shredded vegetables. Malaysia added “yee sang” to its list of national dishes in 2009. When Singapore tried to patent “yusheng” as a local delicacy, Malasia called it a “deliberate violation of rights.”

Pavlova madness

The meringue-based dessert has Australians and New Zealanders fighting for a slice of its history. It’s named after Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, who toured both countries. The Australian National Dictionary describes pavlova as “a famous Australian dessert.” One of the New Zealand PM’s first acts in 2008 was to dismiss Australia’s pavlova claim as “totally ridiculous.”

Shifting shakshuka

Shakshuka is a spicy warm vegetable and egg dish that’s a regular part of breakfast in many MENA countries. The dish has nations vying for credit of its origins. Some believe it came from Morocco, while others say the first version appeared in Turkey, or Yemen. Libyan Jews say it originated in Tripoli, while Ashkenazi Israelis claim their grandma’s cooked shakshuka.