Food represents much more than the simple act of nourishment – this central idea encapsulated the essence of the seminar. Across the globe, migrants have carried culinary traditions from their countries of origin into new environments. What initially served to provide compatriots with a sense of home and familiarity gradually came to be embraced by members of the majority population as an expression of cultural diversity and as a projection surface for longings associated with the foreign or exotic.
Under the guidance of Dr. Anselm Feldmann, a group of 19 scholarship holders from eleven different countries explored the cultural significance of both native and foreign cuisines, as well as the historical development of culinary practices across different social groups as part of this seminar. Theory and practice were closely intertwined: through shared cooking activities, the participants prepared dishes from their respective countries of origin, thereby offering a practical and sensuous engagement with the seminar’s thematic questions.
At the outset, participants each introduced a dish of personal significance from their cultural background. The subsequent group reflection clearly demonstrated the central role of food in processes of identity formation. In particular, familial, social, and cultural bonds emerged as key elements expressed through culinary traditions. Cooking and eating together proved to be not only an experience-based educational approach but also a meaningful act of self-affirmation and cultural orientation. Recreating traditional recipes – either individually or within a group – allows for a sense of belonging and familiarity to be experienced, even in a foreign country. As such, culinary practice can contribute to psychological stability by providing emotional security, reducing stress, and counteracting feelings of homesickness.
The theme of longing also formed the focal point of a lecture by historian Lars Amenda. Using the development of Chinese gastronomy in Germany as an example, he illustrated how “Chinese restaurants” throughout the twentieth century catered to the various projections and desires of the German majority society – a process that continues to this day. While the first known Chinese restaurant in Hamburg, documented in the 1920s, primarily served Chinese seafarers with dishes from their homeland, a significant shift occurred in the post-war period. These establishments increasingly adapted to the expectations and imaginations of the host society. In the aftermath of the Second World War, the desire for a culturally constructed sense of ‘otherness’ came to the fore. The emergence of Asian restaurants thus fulfilled a longing for a romanticised, ‘exotic’ China. The interior design of such establishments – adorned with stylised and stereotypically Chinese motifs – aimed to stage a symbolic journey into an imagined version of China. These representations played a major role in shaping a collective image of China in post-war West German society. This is also reflected in the common use of the term “China-Restaurant”, which places less emphasis on the authenticity of the cuisine and more on the country as a projection of cultural imagination. These dynamics were further explored in the subsequent discussion, particularly with regard to the tension between claims to authenticity and the culturally shaped expectations of the majority society towards Chinese cuisine and its modes of presentation.
On the following day, Petra C. Fujiwara provided insight into the historical and cultural contexts of the Japanese community in the Düsseldorf metropolitan area – one of the most significant Japanese diaspora locations in Europe. With around 15,000 Japanese nationals residing there today, the region serves as an exemplary case of a transnational migration movement, initially driven by economic motives, but which has over the decades become culturally and socially embedded in the urban landscape. The formation of this community dates back to the post-war period, when Japanese companies, amid a global climate of reconstruction, sought inspiration for rebuilding their domestic industries. In this context, the German steel industry became a key point of reference, and Düsseldorf emerged as a strategic centre for Japanese economic activity within the Federal Republic of Germany. As economic roots took hold, transnational infrastructures quickly developed. Japanese restaurants were established, not only to provide familiar food but also to serve as social spaces of memory, identity formation, and collective self-assurance. These institutions were soon complemented by bookshops, teahouses, and homeware stores, forming a dense cultural network – the expression of a diasporic space shaped as much by transnational connections as by local embeddedness. The resulting neighbourhood is affectionately referred to by Düsseldorf’s residents as “Little Tokyo”.
A distinctive feature of the seminar was the active involvement of the participants themselves: during a practice-oriented segment, they jointly prepared dishes from various regions of Asia and the Middle East. These culinary contributions not only offered a tangible, sensuous entry point into the seminar's themes, but also enabled deeper engagement with questions of cultural identity, belonging, and memory.
The St. Catherine’s Convent in Angermund, with its Benedictine community, provided a protected and spiritually imbued setting. The hospitality of the Benedictine sisters contributed significantly to the seminar’s unique atmosphere. The preparation of food, accompanied by joyful exchanges and a cheerful spirit, transformed everyday activities into moments of encounter and intercultural dialogue. Even washing up was experienced as a shared act of community.
The seminar was spiritually framed by morning prayers, table blessings, and meditative reflections, which placed the intellectual work in a transcendent perspective. A special highlight was the Eucharistic celebration, co-created by the participants and our spiritual guide, Father Professor Ulrich Engel OP. In his sermon, he emphasised the central role of the shared meal within the Christian faith community: it is an expression of lived communion, a sign of participation, and a symbol of Christian love of neighbour.
From the first meal prepared together to the final worship service, one thing became palpable: food is far more than nourishment. It carries biographical memory, expresses cultural rootedness, and becomes a space for spiritually lived community.
