【Highlights】The Cultural Festival for International Students at NTOU_first week
The Cultural Festival for International Students at NTOU is back! Last year, cultural activities were suspended due to COVID-19. Now, with the easing of the regulations on COVID-19, the Office of the International Affairs has made it possible for this year’s showcase of international culture and traditions.
The exhibition this year focused on their food and language. Students prepared various dishes from their home country and will be experienced with local and international students on the campus. The food exhibit is held in front of the First Restaurant on campus. This cultural event runs on October 4, 6, 18, and 20, together with the Corner Event for learning the foreign language on October 18 (India and Indonesia) and October 19 (Philippines and Vietnam). Please check the posters below for the details of the event.
The first event was held on October 4, 2022. Students from Indonesia were the first country to showcase their food and traditional dress. Chips made from cassava and other flour-based ingredients were served as a starter.
Also, Indonesian food is known for its rich flavor, combined with savory, hot and spicy, and sweet and salty. The packed lunch box given to students includes chili tempeh, raw cucumber, boiled egg, and chicken, turmeric (yellow) rice, and fried noodles. The fried chili tempeh in sweet soy sauce is a traditional Indonesian food made from fermented soybeans.
On October 6, 2022, students form Thailand and Vietnam showcased their tasty food. Vietnamese students served a special crispy bread called “Bánh mì,” which is highly influenced by French cuisine. This bread is stuffed with meat (chicken, pork, and beef were the choices), cold cuts, coriander, and seasoned with a special sauce. They also served a beverage called “Chanh muối,” a Vietnamese preserved, salted, and pickled lemon. The lemons were fermented with their peels on.
International students from Thailand also prepared a savory dish called gaeng khiao waan gai (green curry with chicken) and Thai larb moo. Gaeng khiao waan gai is one of the most popular Thai curries in the world. It is cooked with a rich coconut milk-based curry with spiciness and sweetness, paired with lean chicken meat. The curry paste used in the dish contains fresh herbs like lemongrass, galangal, garlic, shallots, other dried spices, and shrimp paste.
The Thai larb (or meat salad) recipe is also a staple dish in Thailand. It is easy to make by combining all the ingredients. The minced pork is seasoned with fish sauce, chili flakes, lime juice, and toasted sticky rice for the crunchy texture, and with fresh herbs (basil) will add flavor to the dish. The essential ingredient to this dish is the Khao Kua, or toasted sticky rice, as it adds flavor, crunchiness for every bite, and roasted fragrance. It was also served with special jasmine rice to complete a meal.
More students from different countries will introduce their food for the upcoming exhibitions on October 18th and 20th. Stay tuned for more interesting events to come.