That lovely aroma wafting through the Hangar was not a hallucination. ULM’s Office of Global and Multicultural Affairs hosted the Multicultural Food Festival on April 3, allowing students to share their culture with others. The event featured food dishes from Nepal, Nigeria, Egypt and several other countries.
Director of the Office of Global and Multicultural Affairs Gina White explained the importance of this week to ULM.
“Celebrating Multicultural Week is essential because it fosters understanding, inclusivity and appreciation of diverse cultures within our communities,” White said. “It serves as a platform to recognize and honor the unique traditions, histories and contributions of people from various backgrounds.”
During the Multicultural Food Festival, students and faculty purchased a one-dollar ticket. Students lined up at tables to purchase food with these tickets, the cooks offering many options.
At a table representing Nigerian dishes, students served chicken, fried rice, meat pies, plantains and gizdodo—a combination of gizzards and plantains. They also served jollof rice, typically made from a combination of rice, tomatoes, chili and onions. Senior nursing major Adedolapo Omodara explained why the group chose to make jollof rice.
“At any Nigerian or West African party, this is a staple,” Omodara said. “If it is not there, that’s literally not a party.”
Omodara also mentioned the jollof war, in which countries battle to see who has the best jollof rice. The battle exists between Ghana and Nigeria, with both countries claiming to have the better version of the rice dish. With other tables also offering jollof rice, students were able to experience that rivalry firsthand.
One table featured a spin on the viral Dubai chocolate bar created by Fix Dessert Chocolatier in Dubai. The dessert included chocolate strawberries, pistachio cream, kataifi and shredded phyllo dough. One attendee sampled the sweet treat.
“It was different from what I thought I would have tried,” he said. “It was good; it had a little crunch and sweetness to it but wasn’t overly sweet.”
Senior computer science major Supriya Pudasainy and her other students at the table represented Nepal. They cooked dishes such as sausage, fried potatoes, fried tofu, lassi and a spiced lemon soda called masala soda.
“Whenever I was in high school, I always went to eat these foods with my friends,” Pudasainy said. “I don’t think that I’ve ever had the same taste since five years of being away from home, so I wanted to create this to recreate the memories that I had with my friends.”
Bringing students together with tasty traditional dishes, the Multicultural Food Festival continues to be an important event for ULM.
“It is our strategic goal that it promotes cultural awareness, & understanding, highlights cultural contributions, enriches education, and promotes personal growth,” White said.
