Conflict Kitchen

{spotted on Stephmodo}

Conflict Kitchen is a take-out restaurant in Pittsburgh that only serves cuisine from countries the United States is in conflict with. Jon Rubin, an assistant professor of art at Carnegie Mellon University and one of the restaurant’s founders said, “We’re using food as an entry point to help people explore cultures that aren’t talked about in the mainstream media.” According to Rubin, their goal is not to stir up political controversy, but to remind us that people are people. And what better way to bring people together than with food?

Every four months the featured country changes. Currently, Afghanistan is being represented as “Bolani Pazi.” Bolanis are savory afghan turnovers filled with either pumpkin, spinach, lentils, or potatoes and leeks. I would happily eat these in the name of world peace, wouldn’t you?

The team at Conflict Kitchen worked with members of the Afghan community to create the menu and the packaging, which is a custom-designed wrapper that includes interviews with Afghans on topics such as dating and marriage, education, and ethnic identity. Next up for consideration are North Korea and Venezuela. I’m really hoping it won’t ever be China.

So if you’re in Pittsburgh and can make it over to Conflict Kitchen, please let us know.