Researcher studying cultural branding of foods in Denmark

Xaq Frohlich is pictured in the neighborhood surrounding the Hans Christian Andersen Museum in Odense, Denmark.

Xaq Frohlich is no stranger to travel.

“What I love most about living in different countries is the chance to learn from people who see the world differently than I do,” he said. “I’ve been fortunate to become close friends with colleagues in Spain, the U.K., South Korea, Austria and France. Because of that, those places don’t feel like abstract countries; they feel like homes for people I care about, people who are much more than a national label.”

Frohlich, an associate professor who teaches history in Auburn’s College of Liberal Arts, has also studied or taught in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, so it’s no surprise he’s once again teaching and researching abroad. This spring, his destination is Denmark — a country with which he’s already well acquainted.

“I’ve visited Denmark five times in the past twenty years: three times visiting my brother-in-law’s Danish family and two professional trips,” he said. “These short visits have left me with a very positive view of Danish culture, and my recent book talk visit there kindled the desire for a longer professional stay.”  

Frohlich’s book “From Label to Table,” published in 2023, was the result of his studies on the history of food, including the science, laws and markets that influence how people think about food and nutrition and how industrialization has affected food production and retail.

Recently, Frohlich has moved away from studying American food labels to focus on global identity markets and regional branding, a shift that led him to pursue international research and teaching opportunities. The Binational Commission for Educational Exchange between Denmark and the United States of America is supporting his work with a 2025-2026 Distinguished Scholar in American Studies Grant that allows Frohlich and his family to live in Denmark this spring semester. He’s currently a visiting scholar at the University of Southern Denmark’s (SDU) Center for American Studies, where he’s connecting with researchers who study identity politics, cultural diplomacy and U.S. and European relations.

“One of the best parts of being here is that Denmark’s academic community is relatively small and well connected, so it’s easier to connect with scholars,” he said. “I’m collaborating with colleagues at a business school and scholars working on food in new media, and I’m hoping to bring some of their approaches into my own research.”

That current research is very specifically focused on the contrast between two popular culture-based diets: the Mediterranean diet and New Nordic cuisine. The Mediterranean diet, which originated in Spain, first became popular in the late 1990s, emphasizing plant-based foods along with healthy fats and whole grains. New Nordic cuisine, which emerged from Copenhagen in the early 2000s, emphasizes local, seasonal and organic whole foods.

Frohlich said while both diets were promoted by chefs and culinary industry leaders from their respective geographic locations and endorsed by government organizations, their branding differentiates them: New Nordic cuisine relates to cultural values like minimalist Nordic design and sustainability, while the Mediterranean diet is associated with history.

“A Barcelona-based NGO spearheaded a multi-country effort to classify it as heritage, culminating in the 2010 UNESCO decision to make the Mediterranean diet an ‘intangible cultural heritage,’” he said. “But New Nordic cuisine was built on ethical values outsiders widely associated with the Nordic countries.”

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Frohlich is studying how these regional diet identities were constructed, marketed and reshaped through intercultural exchanges like tourism, cookbooks and media exposure. This research also explores how years of promotion by American researchers influenced the ways Mediterranean and Nordic populations view these diets.

Frohlich feels many people today are pushing back against globalization and turning toward things that feel local and authentic, and food is a powerful symbol of identity because it feels familiar and meaningful. However, his research shows that what people consider to be ‘traditional’ foods are rarely unchanged but instead shaped over time by forces like migration, trade and reinvention.

“By looking at Mediterranean and Nordic food branding, I’m showing how these cuisines were built through exchange, and how we can celebrate local identity without turning ‘heritage’ or ‘historical memory’ into a tool for exclusion,” he said.

Once he builds networks with Danish and European researchers, Frohlich is planning to eventually publish a book on the Mediterranean diet that will compare it to other regional branding initiatives like New Nordic cuisine.

While his travels take him around the world, home is never far from Frohlich’s mind, and he’s hoping this experience will provide opportunities for Auburn faculty and students to visit the Center for American Studies and immerse themselves in Denmark. He said his fellow history professors, many of whom specialize in Southern and American studies, would be especially welcomed for their insight and expertise.

“In the long run, I’d love to build a sustained relationship rather than just a one-off visit: visiting scholar invitations, short graduate research stays or course-based exchanges,” Frohlich said. “Auburn and SDU are both large public universities with strong public service missions, and we share a commitment to public engagement. My hope is that student and faculty exchanges could become the foundation for long-term collaboration between the two programs.”