he Cultural Cook-Off, hosted by Lambda Upsilon Lambda and Phi Delta Psi. With over nine different associations, all with their unique and marvelous cultures, it was an excellent opportunity to experience cuisine native to different countries, and a hint of the diversity found at Rensselaer. This year, due to inclement weather, the cook-off was hosted in the Rathskeller area of the Union; sending wave after wave of delicious aromas wafting through the building. With a fine-looking plaque up for grabs, the various associations baked, fried, basted and used other techniques to try and grab the honor of winning the best cultural dish.
The Cultural Cook-Off is a relatively recent event. This year was the second time the cook-off has taken place, and with over 200 people attending, is sure to be bigger and better as time rolls on. I was lucky enough to get to talk to both Jordy Estevez ’05 from Lambda Upsilon Lambda and Kenji Yanagisawa ’05 from Phi Delta Psi. This cook-off is the brainchild of these two gentlemen. The main goal behind the cook-off is to give the members of the RPI community the ability to experience the different groups and cultures available. From hosting culture events from different parts of the world, to featuring awareness weekends; both Estevez and Yanagisawa work tirelessly with the other associations in trying to bridge the gap between the multiple races and cultures on campus and throughout the world.
During the interview, I asked both the young men of their hopes in the future of the Cultural Cook-Off. Yanagisawa discussed that being able to have the cook-off during GM week would be a great time to share all the different aspects of the respective cultures.
You can imagine the amount of resources that goes into funding this event. However, to help me answer how the cook-off is able to run smoothly, Carla Ruffer was kind enough to sit down in an interview. Ruffer works with the First Year Experience and through William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, is able to allow the different associations to purchase and cook their dishes in anticipation of the event.
Although the event was scheduled for 4 pm, most of the Rathskeller was already packed, with students chowing down on ethnic foods while hopping to the beat of a DJ spinning songs from 50 Cent to traditional folk music. And so with the music thumping through your body, fragrances from dozens of trays of food, laughter and smiles from everyone, the Cultural Cook-Off was once again a great success.
Now let’s get on to my favorite part: the food! With nine different associations all vying for the title of having the best cultural dish, you can be sure I was having a great time sampling all they had to offer. Some of my favorite dishes include summer rolls from the Vietnamese Student Association. Shrimp, vermicelli noodles, and herbs (which I’m guessing to be basil and mint) all are wrapped in rice paper. Rice paper is like a tortilla roll made of rice powder. It’s slightly translucent and doesn’t have any distinct flavor. Dipped into a sweet peanut sauce, the rolls will definitely make it into my personal cookbook.
Another personal favorite was barbecued by the Chinese American Student Association. Using a grill and skewers, they made a simple and elegant teriyaki chicken that looked great and tasted better. The Malaysian Student Association, not to be outdone by their fellow neighbors pulled out a handmade milk and tea drink that involved “pulling” the hot mixture together before serving. To complement this beverage, flat noodles with shrimp drops were served. Due to the sheer volume of people eating at the same time, I unfortunately was unable to try everything but you can be sure I made a hearty effort to sample anything that got in my way! Navigating from table to table, bouncing off the occasional dancer, I got to try pastelitos from the Alianza Latina, tandoori chicken and kheer from the Rensselaer Bengali Community as well as several other wonderful dishes I sneaked off the plates of my little brother. In the end all the dishes were fantastic with myself happily lost in my own little world of interesting people to talk to and new tastes to explore.
I’m truly sorry for all those of you who missed this opportunity to experience so many different cultures under one roof. If you get a chance, make a point of attending any kind of cultural event and I’m sure you will not be disappointed. And for those of you who were lucky to be a part of this great occasion, I hope you will support all the clubs and associations devoted to spreading their love of diverse and wonderful cultures.
