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Some Middle Eastern nations are bringing the classic concept of 'food fights' to a new level: the Guinness World Records have inspired intense competition to craft the world's largest dish of hummus, attempts have been made to trademark this Levantine delicacy which has captured hearts and stomachs around the world, and calls for boycotts of nationalized food-producing enterprises have politicized the consumption of this modest yet peerless dish. Dr. Ariel joins us for a meal of hummus, falafel, and other Middle Eastern favorites from Iowa City's very own Oasis while he discusses these 'hummus wars' and legacies of food as an arena for both international conflict and coexistence.

Ari Ariel, a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Iowa, received his Ph.D. degree from Columbia University, an MA from Tel Aviv University, a BA from the City College of New York, and a Diploma in Classical Culinary Arts from the French Culinary Institute in New York. He studies ethnic, national, and religious identities, migration, and 'foodways' - the intersection of food in culture, tradition, and history - particularly in Middle Eastern Jewish communities. He has recently authored and published the book, Jewish-Muslim Relations and Migration from Yemen to Palestine in the Late Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries in which he highlights Yemeni Jewish emigration amid global transformations. For more information on the Foreign Relations Council visit their website.