Food as a bridge

By Chynna Bong A Jan

Food is a universal language that transcends boundaries—something my group and I wanted to explore firsthand in Kosovo. Now that we have returned from Kosovo and our project on food is concluded, I have had time to reflect on my experiences. To me it’s clear now that our culinary explorations have not just been about recipes, but also about connection. 

Our project involved collecting recipes and stories from different ethnic backgrounds, and compiling them into a cookbook. This cookbook paired Serbian recipes on the left with Albanian recipes on the right, showcasing dishes that, while called by different names, shared great similarities. This simple layout powerfully illustrated our theme: Focusing on similarities, rather than differences. 

The idea that food can serve as a peacebuilding tool was reinforced throughout our time in Kosovo. Peacebuilding is about creating connections and finding common ground, sometimes in unexpected places. In the act of preparing a meal, there’s an incredible potential for individuals to come together. Through cooking, sharing stories, and eating, people can build understanding and trust. This aspect became clear as we engaged with community members, hearing their personal, often nostalgic stories about food. These stories, while unique, revealed universal themes of heritage, identity, and belonging. 

During our stay, we fully immersed ourselves in Kosovo’s culinary scene. Beyond formal interviews, we tried many local dishes and engaged with people we met on the streets. Each meal and every interaction helped us delve deeper into Kosovar culture and how food is intertwined with identity and nostalgia. This was a key component of our project and also a very enjoyable one!

The engagement with the community also brought new insights into human rights and security. I often think of security in terms of protection from harm, but during our project, I saw that security also means creating environments where individuals can thrive, share, and feel valued. So through this project, I realized that feeling secure can also mean having access to your culture and traditions, like food. Food security was discussed not just in relation to nourishment but as an important element of cultural identity and heritage. 

For me, a highlight of our trip was meeting with Community Building Mitrovica, an inspiring organization dedicated to peacebuilding efforts in one of Kosovo’s most divided areas. They offer different programs and one of those centers around food. Their approach mirrored ours: they use food to bring together Serbs and Albanians, as the participants cook and eat together, share and bond. Their program resulted in the participants making a cookbook together. Seeing their work in action confirmed the potential of our vision—food really can lay the groundwork for broader changes in how people understand and treat each other. 

This journey has been more than just academic research or a culinary exploration. My group mates and I connected with the people and culture of Kosovo, and through our project hope to foster connections among Kosovars themselves. It was a real-life lesson on how peacebuilding is embedded in everyday actions, interactions, and even the meals that people share. Therefore, moving forward, I hope that food can be incorporated into organizational peace efforts and can indeed offer a tangible, relatable way to address larger issues of division and unity. Food is more than sustenance; it’s a bridge over the divides created by history, language, and politics.