The researcher of Galician cuisine and food blogger Mariana Dushar (known by her pseudonym Panі Stefa) has received an award and the title of Honorary Ambassador of Ukraine in the field of culinary diplomacy for 2024.
«At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we awarded the Honorary Ambassadors of 2024. This highest distinction in the field of public diplomacy is given to individuals and teams who have made the greatest contribution to promoting Ukraine and Ukrainians around the world. Ukrainian diplomacy has a face. This face belongs to those for whom Ukraine has become a personal choice and the highest value. Caring individuals whose mission is to promote the interests of our state and its people globally», – wrote the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andriy Sybiha.
This year’s winners include:
The researcher of Galician cuisine and food blogger Mariana Dushar commented on her victory on her Facebook page.
«I am incredibly grateful and moved... and this not only reaffirms my belief in the importance of what I do but also adds strength and inspiration! It is an honor for me to be among such people! Culinary diplomacy sometimes works first, even before other forms of diplomacy come into play. I always say that each of us contributes our part to the understanding of our country through food at the right moment. So, let's treat and share! And I will always help with materials», – wrote Mariana Dushar.
Panі Stefa is the pseudonym of Lviv food blogger Mariana Dushar, who has been studying and writing about Galician gastronomic traditions for over 10 years, as well as collecting recipes of local dishes on her eponymous website. She is the author of the culinary notebook "Galician Delicacies," co-author of "The First Ukrainian General Practical Cookbook," and "The Noble Cuisine of Galicia."
Earlier, Mariana Dushar shared with ZAXID.NET how to prepare for Christmas in the Galician way, sharing traditions and recipes.
Additionally, it should be noted that in 2023, the honorary ambassador in the field of culinary diplomacy was the renowned chef Yevhen Klopotenko.