Oregon State University is set to host the second annual Global Culinary Heritage Celebration as part of its upcoming International Education Week in order to “cultivate a greater appreciation of food as cultural heritage.” 

The celebration will take place on Nov. 20 in the Memorial Union Ballroom.

According to international student advisor Nan Xie, the dishes featured this year will be: Nasi Lemak, which consists of rice steamed in pandan leaves with sides, considered the national dish of Malaysia; Momo, a steamed and filled dumpling from Nepal; Chinese vinegar potatoes; and Kheer, a dessert pudding from Southern India.

“Based on last year’s feedback, we intentionally requested recipes that accommodate various dietary restrictions,” Xie said in an email. “We were fortunate to have international students contribute cultural recipes that can meet some of these needs. Additionally, we aim to enhance our event by having our student teams engage more deeply in conversation with our guests, discussing the cultural significance of the recipes and (what) OSU could do to honor these recipes and traditions on campus more regularly.”

Xie said the event this year will be more of a drop-in sampling event than it was last year, which will allow the guests to arrive and depart at their own convenience.

“We hope each guest leaves with a meaningful experience, enriched by the food and the cultural stories it conveys,” Xie said.

For more information about the event or to volunteer, students can reach out to Senior Instructor I of Anthropology Sarah Cunningham at [email protected]. 

For students who may want to showcase their own cultural dishes, Xie suggests taking Cunningham’s course FCSJ 406/506. Food Projects.