Last Saturday, the Student Government Association (SGA) Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Accessibility (DEIBA) committee, led by my friend Shahd, hosted an inspiring cultural food festival. Her idea sparked my passion to reflect on the diverse foods I love from different cultures. As I explored the event, I couldn’t help but think about the culinary traditions that shape our community. I started with the KSA station, where they had gimbap and tteokbokki, and I was obsessed with tteokbokki. It was chewy but not gummy, and despite my low spice tolerance, I was surprised that it wasn’t too spicy. The rice helped balance the flavors of the tteokbokki sauce, mellowing out its slight spiciness. It was incredibly addictive, and now I’m trying to find a recipe to make it at home. Gimbap, a Korean dish with rice, vegetables, and optional cooked seafood or meat, looks like sushi but is different. Sushi consists of vinegared rice and often raw fish, while gimbap uses sesame oil-seasoned rice with cooked ingredients.
I adore Chinese food, but unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to try CSA’s dishes. I believe they had dumplings and spring rolls. Dumplings, like Chinese jiaozi, are one of my favorite comfort foods. On Chinese New Year’s Eve, jiaozi is served at midnight. Spring rolls, originating in China, are made with a thin, crispy wheat flour dough and a savory filling of vegetables and sometimes meat, seasoned with soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and other spices. They’re made with thin, crispy, deep-fried wheat flour dough filled with a savory mix of vegetables and sometimes meat. I also visited the ISA station, where I had delicious Italian Pastry Butter Cookies — buttery and soft. The festival featured cannoli, Sicilian pastries with a crisp shell, and a sweet ricotta filling, sometimes coated with pistachios or chocolate chips. My favorite cannoli are from Angelina’s Bakery in New York.
In addition to the food, I was impressed by the performances of BSU and KSA that I witnessed. What could be better than free cultural food paired with talented performances? I also wanted to mention the Kwanzaa foods like candied yams, collard greens, fried okra, and other symbolic dishes. These earthy foods represent the harvest, making them especially meaningful during the celebration. Recently, I’ve seen West African fufu and egusi soup on my Instagram reels, and they’ve got me craving them. Nigerian egusi soup, made with ground melon seeds, meats, and blended peppers fried in palm oil, is garnished with vegetables and served with fufu.
If I had to pick one food for the rest of my life, it would be sushi. But I also love miso soup. The savory depth of miso is the epitome of umami and is paired with enoki mushrooms. It’s heaven. Then there’s challah, the soft, braided bread in Jewish cuisine, often served during Shabbat and Jewish holidays. Its shiny golden crust and fluffy texture make it feel like a cloud. The three braids symbolize truth, peace, and justice, and the two loaves represent the six workdays before Shabbat. One of the best things about appreciating foods from different countries or cultures is that it’s simply about enjoying great flavors and learning about history. I love this idea and hope to see more events like this in the future. As a member of SGA, I’m so proud of everyone who helped pull it together.
