The Culinary Diplomacy Project

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Charlottesville, VA
The Culinary Diplomacy Project

A chef-driven organization that sends prominent chefs to destinations around the world as representatives of American culture and cuisine.

They use food, the great common denominator, to connect and learn about the people they are visiting

05/12/2025

We’re so honored that CDP’s Lauren Bernstein will be a featured panelist at the Caribbean Food Forum on May 13, 2025, in Antigua 🇦🇬

Lauren will be speaking alongside some amazing chefs, wellness experts, food storytellers, and hospitality leaders. They’ll be diving into everything from food security and sustainability to festivals, wellness, and culture through cuisine.

We would love to see you there—whether in person or virtually! Just register at the link in our bio.

05/06/2025

CDP is excited to announce our new partnership with Monticello, the museum and home of Thomas Jefferson and World Heritage Site! What many people don’t know is that Thomas Jefferson was one of America’s first culinary diplomats, bringing global cuisines to the U.S. and convening conversations with people of differing views around meals at his home.

Last weekend CDP Chefs, Marc Murphy and Aarti Sequeira, curated a beautiful meal for a dinner on the lawn of Monticello, kicking off our new partnership, and they also participated in a conversation about the power of Culinary Diplomacy, moderated by Monticello’s Brandon Dillard.

Our first program will feature Marc Murphy on June 26 & 27 at Monticello, in Charlottesville, VA. If you would like to join us for any of the events, please see the link in our bio for event information and tickets. Aarti Sequeira’s program will take place at Monticello in November, so be on the lookout for those dates opening soon!

Big thanks to and for supporting the amazing dinner, to Chefs and for creating this delicious menu and providing interesting conversation, and of course to for seeing all of the exciting possibilities that we see!

01/29/2025

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!

01/27/2025

On her quick trip to Rome, our CEO Lauren snapped photos of some of her favorite dishes. The only thing that can challenge the amazing pastas in Italy are the delicious desserts chef 🤌 !!

12/25/2024

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!

11/28/2024

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!

10/30/2024

At the end of the summer, the CDP team headed to Orlando, FL to help one of our students move in to his new apartment as he was beginning his journey at the Disney Culinary Arts Program!

We are so lucky to work with amazing chefs like who helped support this young man’s dream to work at Disney. CDP chefs support our students in so many wonderful ways!

This weekend the student will have the tremendous opportunity to work with another great CDP chef, when he sous chefs for him at the Kennedy Space Center’s 2024 Taste of Space. We can’t wait!

Keep an eye on our stories for some fun behind-the-scenes moments!

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Address

1050 Monticello Loop
Charlottesville, VA
22902

Website

https://culinarydiplomacyproject.org/

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