A German philosopher, Ludwig Feuerbach declared in 1850, "Man is what he eats" (Der Mensch ist, was er ißt). The meaning of the sentence is how food impacts mental and physical well-being.
Having this in mind, it is interesting to examine the relationship of leaders with gastronomy. How many presidents or prime ministers put on an apron and cook for themselves or others? What is their favorite dish? What is their relationship with food? And more important: what do they get from cooking or simply by eating a specific dish?
Starting with the current US president, Donald Trump, his fondness for fast food is widely documented, including, of course, pizzas, hamburgers, Doritos, French fries, Kentucky Fried Chicken, milkshakes, chocolates, and, naturally, Coca-Cola. Trump is also a fan of meatloaf and has even forced his White House guests to eat it, even if they either don't like it or aren't carnivores. In fact, McDonald's must be very grateful to Trump for the publicity he provides the well-known franchise, as in April 2016, when he ordered hamburgers and personally went out to receive them, with a $100 tip as a reward to the delivery woman. Of course, all of this was done in the presence of numerous media outlets that documented the unusual event.
During his presidential campaign, on October 20, 2024, Trump went to a McDonald's restaurant outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to personally serve customers. He handed out hamburgers at the drive-thru window and also cooked French fries. His obsession with hamburgers is such that he ordered the White House cooks to recreate those from the well-known franchise, noting that they weren't as good as the originals, which are his favorites.
This is a welcome relief for the franchise, after being stormed due to complaints from the medical community and consumers that its products are harmful to health. The scandal intensified in light of a 2004 documentary directed by and starring Morgan Spurlock, titled *Supersize Me*, in which the filmmaker consumed McDonald's hamburgers morning, noon, and night for 30 days straight, severely impacting his health. The documentary shows him eating the hamburgers and fries, chicken nuggets, drinking sodas, and attending regular medical checkups to document the damage to his health. During the 30 days of his "experiment," Spurlock gained 24 pounds, experienced cardiovascular problems, increased blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol. The company argued that Spurlock's actions were unrealistic because no one actually eats like that. However, its reputation was tarnished, and it modified its menu options to offer smaller portions and included water and salads in its food offerings.
Aside from the negative health repercussions of junk food consumption, it's clear that Trump's fondness for it has political implications. As suggested by political commentators: “beyond his particular fondness for hamburgers, Trump has also demonstrated his strange addiction to junk food in general. He has been involved in controversial moments with this type of food, such as interrupting a meeting to order milkshakes, the Starburst candies he allegedly threw at Angela Merkel, and the cherry-vanilla ice cream he served to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Food has become yet another of his controversial political weapons.”
In fact, the incident with Merkel—whom world leaders seemed to enjoy bullyimg, for example Putin, when he displayed his Labrador, Koni, at a meeting with Merkel in Sochi, apparently to intimidate her due to her phobia of dogs—occurred during the 2018 G7 Summit when, confronting the German leader, Trump took two candies from his jacket pocket, placed them on the table in front of her, and said, "Here, Angela! So, you can never say I didn't give you anything."
Internally, however, Trump understands that what he eats impacts the electorate. Trump is an overweight 79-year-old man who surely has numerous health problems, even though he appears energetic. It has been documented that he experiences periods of drowsiness, suffers from venous insufficiency, swollen legs, hearing loss, and bruise on his hands associated with aspirin use. Nevertheless, it doesn't seem that his diet, which any sensible person would oppose, has adverse effects on his health. Or at least that's what he tries to project to the electorate.
The United States is a country where obesity constitutes a very serious and growing public health problem, affecting nearly 40 percent of adults and 1 in 5 children, according to recent data from 2023-2025. It is considered an epidemic that carries serious risks of chronic diseases, with an economic impact exceeding $149 billion annually and responsible for approximately 280,000 deaths each year, in addition to exacerbating diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, fatty liver disease, kidney failure, various types of cancer, thrombosis, ischemic heart disease, and many others.
In a country where health is assumed to be the responsibility of the individual—which explains the liberal healthcare model in the US—the electorate sees Trump as one of their own. A robust man, who eats what other overweight people eat, generates empathy among voters. There are even those who see him as a healthy man—Trump is a teetotaler—so his consumption of junk food brings him closer to the perception of ordinary people. Trump is not a sophisticated president who favors expensive, complex dishes: he is satisfied with pizza, Doritos, ice cream, and Coca-Cola, which now, he wants to be a beverage made with sugar cane instead of high-fructose corn syrup. The company, delighted with the attention Trump lavishes on it, announced a special edition of the drink that will be made with sugar cane. This is part of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) campaign launched by U.S. Secretary of Health Robert Kennedy Jr., with the support, of course, of Donald Trump. However, using sugar cane won't make Coca-Cola a healthy drink—given all the chemicals used in its production—and its continued consumption will likely continue to contribute to kidney stones and an increase in diabetes. In any case, the electorate loves knowing that their president drinks Coca-Cola, a beverage deeply rooted in national identity and pride.
A similar, Mexican-style behavior was displayed by Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who, during his presidency, was often seen eating barbacoa, suadero tacos, garnachas, tamales, tlayudas, chicharrón, and beans—the kind of food that, despite its high calorie content, is preferred by many Mexicans. This way, the former president projected empathy toward the electorate by sitting down to eat simple dishes, the same ones that many consume and that form part of the national identity. Donald Trump opted for fast food. López Obrador chose the "vitamin T" (a slang term for a non healthy, neither nutritious meal such as Tacos, Tortas and Tamales). On social media, the Tabasco native politician stated: "Traveling the country for years, in the line of duty, has allowed me to get to know towns, deserts, valleys, coasts, histories, and the places where you can eat delicious, healthy food without ostentation."
There's no question here that Mexican cuisine is varied, flavorful, and spectacular—and, incidentally, an intangible cultural heritage of humanity according to UNESCO. But the then-president's narrative, always geared toward distinguishing between "the people" and "the rich"—generating polarization—coupled with the fact that he was one of the politicians who, according to him, had visited the most municipalities in the country, turned gastronomy into a political tool that served his interests. It allowed him to connect with Mexicans, the "good people," those who saw in the man from Tabasco someone like themselves.
Despite this, López Obrador's health, while not widely publicized, is known to have been precarious. In 2013, he suffered a heart attack. In 2022, he underwent a cardiac catheterization. He contracted SARS-CoV-2 three times, due to his numerous trips around the country during the height of the health crisis without wearing a face mask. He suffers from hypertension, and in March 2026, at the age of 72, it was speculated in the media that he was hospitalized at the Central Military Hospital for cardiovascular problems.
The enigmatic Vladimir Putin has a family tree deeply connected to gastronomy. His grandfather, Spiridon Putin, was a cook who, at the beginning of the 20th century, worked in a restaurant near the Ministry of the Navy. In 1918, Spiridon was summoned to work in a government canteen where he cooked for Lenin and the Bolshevik leaders. It is rumored that after Lenin's death, he became Stalin's cook at his Valdai residence. Spiridon died when Vladimir Putin was 12 years old. Despite this, the Russian president says he remembers the taste of his grandfather's fish soup and the lamb prepared with Caucasian herbs.
Putin enjoys having porridge, cottage cheese, honey, and fish for breakfast. He claims he doesn't eat dinner due to lack of time, but in the afternoons, he eats fruit and, if available, kefir. In St. Petersburg, there's a restaurant Putin frequents, Podvorie, whose menu includes "Vladimir Putin's Lunch," a sort of barbecue featuring sausages, schnitzel, beef, and homemade steaks. He also enjoys smoked sturgeon with lemon and butter. The president prefers to drink wine or beer and likes Spanish red wine.
For years it has been speculated that Putin employs a food taster to ensure his meals are not poisoned. This was finally confirmed in 2014. The taster is not a renowned chef, but a trusted employee of the Federal Protective Service (FSO), and the entire process, from selecting the ingredients to serving the dish, is closely monitored by Kremlin security personnel for the protection and confidence of the Russian president.
Unlike other world leaders for whom the issue of their health seems irrelevant, Putin is obsessive about it. He is said to travel with a retinue of doctors to the places he visits and to be obsessed with his longevity. Various media outlets have speculated that the Russian president suffers from Parkinson's disease, is battling advanced cancer, and has exhibited slight tremors in his hands and legs, as well as stiffness in his limbs. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied that Russia's most powerful man suffers from any terminal illness. Adding fuel to the speculation, reports from Western intelligence agencies such as the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) indicate that there is no evidence that Putin is ill and that, in fact, he is “too healthy.”
Unlike other leaders, Putin also participates in a variety of sports. He is known for his passion for judo, ice hockey, and skiing, sports he often uses to project a public image of a tough and physically strong man. A black belt in judo and a Master of Sports in sambo, he has practiced martial arts since the age of 11. He also plays ice hockey regularly and enjoys fishing and horseback riding. Through these sports, the Russian president projects power.
Finally, this list of world leaders' eating habits would be incomplete without mentioning the diet of Xi Jinping, President of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The Chinese leader prefers a diet based on his country's traditional cuisine, often opting for simple dishes and "home-style flavors" to project an image close to the people. His preferences include plain white rice, pork-based dishes (such as dumplings or minced pork), stir-fried vegetables, spicy tofu, and steamed buns (baozi).
In 2013, Xi Jinping made headlines when he ate at a local restaurant in Qingfeng, Beijing. His order was dubbed "Uncle Xi's Combo." This casual lunch consisted of steamed pork and onion dumplings, liver, and stir-fried vegetables, all shared with those present. While the dishes Xi Jinping ate are Chinese and follow their own specific recipes, liver and onions is a traditional dish enjoyed worldwide.
If Xi Jinping takes a "people's bath" and eats where ordinary people eat is not a common sight in the Asian giant. However, with actions like this, Xi projects the image of a leader close to the people, fighting corruption and avoiding the gastronomic excesses of government officials. In this sense, Xi distances himself from government gluttony. Of course, the place where the president ate became very popular, and clients have been flocking to eat exactly what their president ordered. It is now part of tourist attraction of the capital and a must-see for visitors to witness the president's simplicity. Regardless of whether politics influenced the ingredients or not, the restaurant's surge in popularity after the president's visit is clear evidence of the great interest generated by what Xi Jinping eats.
So far, these are the culinary preferences of some world leaders, always, of course, seasoned with a political aim: to connect with the public, projecting a simple, empathetic image with dishes that appeal to many. But what about the gastro-diplomacy practiced by these same political leaders? Can you imagine Donald Trump cooking breakfast, even just once in his life, for Melania? Common sense would suggest it's unnecessary. That's what chefs are for, or in the case of the veteran Republican, McDonald's.
More unusual is for one leader to cook for another, and yet two of the most powerful world leaders, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, were photographed enjoying, aprons on, the pancakes or blinis with caviar they prepared after taking a break following a meeting in Vladivostok. After making a small stack of blinis, the two sampled them with caviar and accompanied them with shots of vodka.
Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping have met more than 40 times since the Chinese leader came to power in 2013 -Putin landed at the Kremlin in 2000. Their meetings have taken place bilaterally and in regional and multilateral fora. Empathy between them is evident, having aligned their respective foreign policies to consolidate mutual relations. Each leader recognizes the other as a friend or a close friend. They treat their respective countries as great powers. They are united not only by their political styles, the enormous power they possess, and the growing political, economic, and military interdependence they have built, but also by their rejection of a world dominated by a single power—the United States. They have even met to celebrate each other's birthdays, and in 2019 Beijing decided to "loan" two giant pandas to the Moscow Zoo, where they became beloved by Muscovites, especially after they had a cub which, following a contest, was named Katyusha -like the popular Russian song. Thus, the close and strategic bilateral relationship between Russia and the People's Republic of China was first sealed with the gastro-diplomacy of blinis and, a year later, with panda diplomacy. No other pair of world leaders spend as much time together or agree on many issues of the global agenda as they do. And food has a lot to do with it.
Editor’s Note: The above guest column was penned by María Cristina Rosas, a professor and researcher in the faculty of political and social sciences at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City. The column appears in The Rio Grande Guardian International News Service with the permission of the author. Rosas can be reached via email at: mcrosas@prodigy.net.mx
