The Culinary Diplomacy Project

Happy Lunar New Year!

This 2025 is the Year of the Wood Snake, which represents a year of transformation and renewal. Lunar New Year is celebrated all across the world, with families reuniting around the dinner table and sharing an auspicious feast. A staple dish on this dinner table is dumplings (饺子, jiǎozi), which are shaped like Chinese gold ingots and symbolize wealth for the new year. Families also bond by making these dumplings together for Lunar New Year dinner, celebrating togetherness and unity. 

Here’s to a prosperous Lunar New Year filled with cherished moments and good food!

Merry Christmas & Happy Hanukkah!

We love that these two holidays fall on the same day! Such a great way to illustrate how connected we all truly are and how much we share. Our celebrations may look a bit different, but the centerpiece of both is gathering around the table with friends and family to share a special meal. 

If you’re in Mexico, your Christmas table may be filled with dishes like tamales, or in the U.K., it may be pudding. You may have classic Hanukkah dishes on your table, like latkes and sufganiyot. No matter what you prepare, we hope you will remember that food is something that brings us all together. 

CDP wishes you and your loved ones, a healthy and happy (and delicious!) holiday! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

This Thanksgiving, we’re celebrating more than just food — we’re celebrating family, friends and the power of a meal to bring us together around a table, even if we may not agree on all things.

Today, when we gather to share this meal, each table tells a different American story and that’s what we love about it. Depending on your region or cultural background, you may add an extra dish or even a local ingredient, like oysters to your stuffing if you live in the northeast!

We love to see these different dishes, so please share with us some photos from your holiday table, and don’t forget to tag us!