Anyone who’s ever eaten knows that food can bring people together. And as a core pillar of a culture, it can also drive people apart.

But when entire cultures intersect, big things start to happen. Lionel Beehner, a longtime foreign correspondent and policy expert has a compelling theory that internecine conflict generally results in a legacy of dynamic food. Think of the Middle East, which has cuisine elements from Jewish, Muslim, Ottoman, and Western European cultures. Or Georgia, which has been invaded by people from places as different as Mongolia, Turkey, and Iran. For the fusion of foods and cultures to work, invading people need to stick around, which explains why countries like Germany or Japan, central points of 20th century conflict,