Gastronomic diplomacy: from salads to paella What do world leaders eat?

Spanish Pedro Sánchez prefers salads and fish, Emmanuel Macron is the most experienced president of gastronomy who has passed since the Elysée, and Canadian Justin Trudeau loves paella. Those who cook for world leaders they are discreet and exercise “gastrodiplomacy”.

Twenty-five of them are members of the Chefs des Chefs philanthropic clubfounded by Gilles Bragard in 1977, who this week held its annual summit in Spain for the first time this week and a charity dinner for the NGO of Spanish chef José Andrés, World Central Kitchen, before being received by President Sánchez.

Bragard defines it as “the G20 of gastronomy”a group of professionals who “guardian of the culinary traditions of their countries, are ambassadors of their products, responsible for the well-being of world leaders and help their heads of state and government in diplomacy, because if politics divides men, good food unites them “.

Among them is José Roca, who has been cooking for 44 years in Moncloa, the seat of the presidency of the Spanish government. Of his current tenant, Pedro Sánchez, he tells Efe he is “very grateful when it comes to eating” and his menus usually include salads and more fish than meat.

simple meals

“Simple things, normal“comments someone who has worked for all the democratic presidents in Spain:” Each has its pros and cons, but our main value is discretion. “

One day this week, Sánchez and his family ate cod esqueixada, sirloin with a Porto reduction and baked potatoes and chocolate ice cream. In his work, these cooks try to be creative because they feed them daily and have to “play a little with the same products so as not to get bored with the dishes”.

It is Roca who proposes the menus and they make the changes they want; if there are foreign guests, the kitchen becomes “a Spanish embassy”pride of the national dispensation.

The same happens in the Elíseo, whose stoves arrived in 1977 by Guillaume Gómez, the son of a Spanish emigrant. author of “À la table des presidents” (“At the table of presidents”) and today special ambassador of French gastronomy, he explains to Efe that “Jacques Chirac was very ‘gourmand’, Nicolas Sarkozy I didn’t drink alcohol but he loved good products, François Hollande loved French gastronomy and Emmanuel Macron is the president who knows it best “.

Like his colleagues, is a strong supporter of “gastrodiplomacy”because with their menus, especially when they receive foreign garments, they talk about their territories, their producers and transmit “economic and human values”.

Among the members of this club there is the “blue phone”, through which the tastes of each president or monarch are communicated when traveling. “The Queen of England loves foie gras very much, and she specifically asked for it on her last trip to France, her son Carlos doesn’t,” reveals Bragard.

Mukesh Kumar cooks for a vegetarian president, Ram Nath Kovind (India), which “isn’t a problem” for him, but he cuts the spice when he receives foreign leaders; Cambodian Yen Chanty feeds Justin Trudeau (Canada), “who trains a lot, eats a lot and loves local food, but also experiments with other cuisines.” Spanish paella and Iberian ham are among his favorites abroad.

Hard work

One of the two women of Chefs des Chefs (the other works in the White House and was unable to attend the summit), Elmarie Pretorius, (South Africa), admits to Efe that it is a “difficult job” because they have to be available “24 hours. on 24 “, even by telephone in case of a presidential whim.

Attentive to allergies, intolerances and food restrictions due to religion at every international reception, they try to give the best of themselves and the gastronomy of their country, recalls Efe Fabrizio Boca, for whom pasta is an emblem, both in the menus of Italian presidents (“everyone prefers the cuisine of their region”) and at official dinners with foreign leaders visiting Rome.

In many cases linked to confidentiality agreements, they are extremely reserved. Bragard recalls that Chirac was said to like ‘tête de veau’ (cow’s head, a traditional French dish) and that there was no trip where he didn’t cook it or that when George Bush confessed that he didn’t like broccoli and his producers demonstrated in the White House.

They hold positions of utmost trust and almost feel part of the family of those they cook for, even if, Bragard recalls, “The presidents pass but the chefs remain”.

EFE agency

PB