Besides Rendang, These Are 4 Foods That Are Competing Between Countries

Illustration of Food Contested (Taryn Elliott / Pexels)

JAKARTA - For several groups of countries that are close to each other, sometimes there is something in common in food. Unfortunately, this has often resulted in disputes and debates between the two countries. Claims to be the country of origin of the food maker are bound to be disputed. Hostility over food sovereignty can even lead to diplomatic divisions.

Reporting from Tagar, Monday, February 8, here are 4 typical country foods whose ownership is contested:

Potatoes (Chile-Peru)

Potatoes, a source of carbohydrates other than rice, have also been contested by Chile and Peru.

It all started when Marigen Hornkohl, Chile's minister of agriculture in 2008, claimed that 99 percent of the potatoes produced on earth come from Chile.

This claim is also supported by Professor Andres Contreras from the University of Austral Chile who tries to register about 280 varieties of potatoes as natural products native to Chile.

This action was apparently rejected by Peruvians. According to them, potatoes came from the Andes Mountains in Peru and were first discovered by Colonel Pizarro's troops.

When a number of studies proved that 90 percent of the world's potatoes come from Chile, Peru immediately asked the United Nations to step in to examine the results of the study.

Croissants (French-Austrian)

Food that is also contested by two countries is Croissant. This one bread is indeed identical as a typical French snack. However, some people say that the making of croissants is actually inspired by the Austrian 'kipfels' bread.

The difference between the two pastries lies only in the dough. The French replace the typical Austrian brioche bread dough, with crunchy puff pastry. That is why croissants have a crunchier texture than softer kipfels.

Now, the worldwide croissant population has defeated kipfels. So, it's no wonder that many Austrian and French citizens are fighting over the origins of the bread.

Hummus (Lebanese-Israeli)

Hummus, a savory dipping sauce that is well-known in the Middle East, has lost its identity because it is being fought over by the Lebanese and Israeli states.

Many Lebanese claim that hummus comes from their country. Meanwhile, according to the Israelis, hummus is a native food from their country since the 12th century brought by travelers.

In fact, the history of hummus can be traced back to the reign of Sultan Saladin who ruled Israel and Lebanon at his time.

Uniquely, these two countries try their own hummus claims. Starting from setting world records for the biggest hummus ever made, to Israel marketing postcards mentioning hummus as a snack typical of the country with the capital city of Jerusalem.

Kimchi (South Korea-China)

Who doesn't know kimchi. This fermented food made from chicory and radish is a culinary heritage from South Korea that has existed for hundreds of years.

However, China also claims that Kimchi is the original food of their country. A professor and historian from Peking University, Zhang Yiwu, said that the exchange of food and agriculture between Korea and China gave birth to similarities in terms of food such as kimchi.