A battle of the taste buds will take place at Grover Center with a flavor for multicultural dishes.
The Zeta Gamma chapter of Sigma Lambda Gamma, a multicultural sorority, hosts the annual Cultural Food Throw Down event during Hispanic Heritage Month and usually during Homecoming week, said Alex Taylor, president of Sigma Lambda Gamma and a junior studying nursing.
Although the event is geared more toward cultural foods, it is often difficult to get the right ingredients, so people can stray away from traditional dishes and make any kind of meal they choose, Taylor said.
“It’s always fun to try foods from different cultures,” she said. “And I mean, it’s free food, and us poor college kids could always use free food.”
Four faculty judges will evaluate each dish and the winner will receive a $25 gift card to Chipotle.
Winsome Chunnu-Brayda, associate director of the Multicultural Center, has served as a judge for the past two years and is looking forward to the competition.
“I love food from all over the world and the opportunity to try food,” she said. “I relish in doing these kinds of things because the food is an integral part of learning about a culture.”
Programs such as the throw down provide an atypical way to learn about cultures, Chunnu-Brayda said.
“This represents programming in its broadest sense,” she said. “We bring speakers and plays and musicians and performers to help students learn about different cultures. When you have them making and trying new things, it provides a different medium to understand the culture.”
Last year, over 300 people came to the event and food ran out quickly, so Taylor said she is encouraging many people to make something, even if they do not want to enter the contest. There will also be a nacho bar for people to enjoy, she said.
However, making a dish is not a requirement to attend, said Taylor Neundorfer, vice-president of chapter services and recruitment for Sigma Lambda Gamma and a junior studying child and family studies.
“It’s a good opportunity to meet new people and get some insight into different cultures,” she said. “But in the end, it’s more of a social and fun event rather than an informational event.”
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