From McDonald’s to sushi: Asian food culture spreads around the world

– As the appeal of Asian cuisine increases, the global appeal of Western cuisine is entering a period of transition, reflecting a broader shift in the influence of Western civilization

The author is head of Turkey, Asia and Indo-Pacific studies at the Institute of International Relations and Strategic Research at Yildirim Beyazit University in the Turkish capital Ankara, and aassociate professor at the same university.

ISTANBUL

Not long ago, after the end of the Cold War, Western countries, and especially the United States, adopted a unique cultural and public diplomatic strategy based on propaganda: establishing dominance through attraction rather than force. After three decades of unipolar branding and attraction, a new challenge has emerged in world politics. A multipolar, “multiplexed” (1) and multigeopolitical cultural and public diplomatic strategy has taken shape, in which popular culture, like food, plays a crucial role in winning hearts and minds. This popular culture is essential for generating and exercising soft power. This gradual process eventually leads to the establishment of hard power through the attraction of soft elements such as food. (2) While global citizens criticize American hegemony or military actions in Afghanistan, Cuba, Vietnam or Iraq, they continue to enjoy consuming American branded products.

Asian foods challenge Western dominance in popular food culture

Eating at McDonald’s, socializing at Burger King, or drinking at Starbucks were once considered elite, affluent, and influential trends in popular cultural soft power. However, over the past decade, this narrative has gradually shifted. New emerging competitors have challenged these dominant Western brands. Asian food culture, in particular, has emerged to fill this void. From China to South Korea, Japan to India, Indonesia to Pakistan, Malaysia to Bangladesh, Turkey to Kazakhstan, Iran to Thailand, and Yemen to Afghanistan, Asian cuisines have demonstrated their global appeal, challenging Western dominance in popular food culture. Furthermore, controversies involving American brands, such as McDonald’s providing free meals to the Israeli army during Israeli aggression against Palestinians, have negatively impacted their ethical credibility and global perception, highlighted the one-sided nature of some global food brands, and further diminished their position in the rhetoric of popular food culture. (3)

Popular culinary culture has always been diverse and not limited to any one region. However, a Western Eurocentric perspective has often equated popular culinary culture with Western branded cuisine. Before the rise of contemporary Western influence, food products from Turkic countries, China or India – such as spices – were at the heart of trade, connecting the Eastern, Western and African worlds. Dishes such as Japanese sushi, Sichuan hot pot, Turkish kebab, South Korean bibimbap, Thai spicy soup, Indonesian nasi goreng, Indian biriyani, Kazakh besbarmak, Lebanese hummus, Bangladeshi hilsa fish curry, Malaysian sasi lemak and Pakistani nihari exemplify the rich and varied culinary traditions of Asia. These Asian cuisines are increasingly gaining recognition and popularity globally, challenging the dominance of Western culinary culture.

Towards an Asian century through cuisine and popular culture

Asians living in Western countries have strong ties to their diverse culinary cultures, which also serve to bridge cultural gaps with Western communities. Many Asian embassies organize culinary festivals and exhibitions to strengthen these ties and connect with local populations using the “bridging power.” (4) Culinary diplomacy has become increasingly important in Asian diplomatic efforts. The global awareness, recognition, and interaction with Asian culinary culture can be attributed primarily to global tourism and the widespread Asian diaspora. (5)

A recent analysis of Google search data identified the top 40 most searched cuisines in the United States, revealing that Chinese cuisine tops the list with over 3.35 million monthly searches, followed by Mexican cuisine with 1.22 million. Thai cuisine ranks third with over 823,000 searches, Indian cuisine fourth with 673,000, and Korean cuisine fifth with 246,000. Japanese cuisine and soul food each receive 201,000 searches, while Greek, Italian, and Hawaiian cuisines garner 165,000, 165,000, and 90,500 searches, respectively. (6) In Britain, The Guardian reported in 2017 that over 80% of curry house chefs come from the Sylhet region of Bangladesh. (7)

Additionally, access to international television content through platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime has allowed global audiences to become increasingly familiar with popular Asian cuisine. For example, the Japanese television series Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories and the anime series Food Wars: Shokugeki no Soma have contributed significantly to the global reach and appreciation of Asian gastronomy by showcasing its exquisite culinary traditions.

Asian culinary exhibitions held around the world have helped to showcase the great diversity of Asian cuisine. Along with the growing popularity of other Asian cultural elements, such as television series and cartoons, this has greatly enhanced the cultural soft power of Asian cuisine. If the 21st century is to be an Asian century, popular culture, particularly cuisine, must play a crucial role in promoting greater understanding and cooperation. As the appeal of Asian cuisine increases, the global appeal of Western cuisine is entering a period of transition, reflecting a broader shift in the influence of Western civilization. This transition extends beyond politics, economics, and foreign policy to encompass popular culture, with cuisine playing a prominent role.

(1) https://medium.com/international-affairs-blog/what-is-a-multiplex-world-order-d942af3d2b45

(2) https://www.aa.com.tr/en/analysis/opinion-turkish-made-drone-akincis-charm-offensive-in-iran-how-hard-power-can-be-a-tool-of-soft-power/3226106

(3) https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/free-meals-israeli-soldiers-divide-mcdonalds-franchises-over-israel-hamas-war-2023-10-17/

(4) Islam, MN (2023). The Power of Links and Non-Western Soft Power Strategy in Iran. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-19867-0

(5) Islam, MN (2024). The Power of Bonding and Non-Western Emerging Great Powers Engagement: Comparing China and India’s Soft Power Strategy in Pakistan. New York: Lexington, Rowman & Littlefield. https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781666920994/Power-of-Bonding-and-Non-Western-Emerging-Great-Powers-Engagement-Comparing-China-and-India%E2%80%99s-Soft-Power-Strategy-in-Pakistan

(6) https://www.qualityassurancemag.com/news/new-study-reveals-the-most-popular-cuisines-in-america/

(7) https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/jan/12/who-killed-the-british-curry-house

*The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Anadolu Agency.

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