La Piazza Features Student Recipes for International Education Week

To celebrate International Education Week, the Student Success Centre (SSC) in partnership with McMaster Hospitality Services is thrilled to introduce three feature dishes at La Piazza’s Global Delight food station. This will be the first year that Global Delight features student-submitted recipes.

In preparation for the week, international students submitted their favourite recipes from home along with stories of the recipe’s presence in their community. From Venezuelan arepas to Chinese jianbing (crepes), recipes came in from across the globe. International Education Week’s featured recipes were chosen for their wide-spread cultural presence and assortment of flavours: Jollof Rice (Nigerian), Fava Beans (Egyptian), and Barberry Rice with Chicken (Iranian).

“Jollof Rice is the one dish that unites us,” Loretta Okwudili shared during the Global Delight tasting sessions, “We don’t know where it started, but it’s the one dish that is always present so it has to make an appearance!”

“Fava Beans, or as they call it in Egypt, ‘Fool’, is the most popular dish in Egypt,” Mohamed Hammouda explains, “In some families, they eat it twice a day. They will eat it with bread or make sandwiches.”

While the features will only be served during International Education Week, the Global Delight station is available in La Piazza all year round. As Demian Melnyk, Assistant Chef Manager at McMaster’s Hospitality Services, offers: “Global Delight is an opportunity to recognize the diverse population that we have in our community on campus. It’s a chance to give students who are away from home familiar tastes and flavours that will work to help them feel more comfortable.”

“It’s wonderful to serve students and see the smiles on their faces,” Mina Misaghi of McMaster Hospitality Services continued, “Not only that, but they feel at home and that’s the best part.”

Offering international food and flavours on campus continues to play an important role in welcoming students to McMaster’s community:

“International dishes are a way for us to feel home away from home,” Loretta shares, “It’s good to know McMaster can make you feel welcome and make you feel at home in a different country.”

For those interested in tasting this year’s features, International Education Week will take place from Monday, October 31, 2016 to Friday, November 4, 2016. Feature dishes will be available at La Piazza from 11:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

For more information about International Education Week, visit the Student Success Centre’s website.