{"id":92093,"date":"2018-11-15T16:18:29","date_gmt":"2018-11-15T15:18:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=92093"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:23:08","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:23:08","slug":"giving-someone-a-taste-of-your-cuisine-is-a-great-conversation-starter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2018\/11\/15\/giving-someone-a-taste-of-your-cuisine-is-a-great-conversation-starter\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Giving someone a taste of your cuisine is a great conversation starter\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Tuesday afternoon, many different cultures, hungry students, and a few sport centre users who stumbled upon the event all congregated in the Erasmus Sport Cafe for the International Food Fair. The new umbrella organisation Erasmus Multicultural Associations (EMA) organised a market where multicultural organisations, hoping to recruit new members, offered food at a minimal price or even gave it away.<\/p>\n

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Hot pepper challenge: who can eat the most Madame Jeanette peppers?<\/span><\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>

Hila Mohamad, EMA chair, explains: \u201cThere\u2019s not a lot of awareness about multicultural associations among students on campus. We want to use these kinds of events to promote the idea that all of our diversity makes us stronger, and we\u2019re more visible as a collective. Sharing food is a great way to do this, because it connects people and it\u2019s an enjoyable way to come in contact with a new culture.\u201d<\/p>\n

Properly made baklava<\/h2>
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EMA-chairman Hila Mohamad<\/span><\/p>

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The large crowd of people exploring the various market stalls appears to confirm this. Students enjoy dishes prepared by various associations such as the Chinese Student Association, the Italian Erasmus Society and Afghan students\u2019 association ARIA Students.
\nThe chair of the multicultural association Avicenna of the Erasmus MC, Okan Bakar (23, Medicine), explains his association\u2019s approach. \u201cGiving someone a taste of your cuisine is a great conversation starter. For example, you can explain that properly made Turkish baklava shouldn\u2019t leak any syrup if you squeeze it.\u201d And Avicenna\u2019s baklava from Rotterdam Zuid is the real deal.<\/p>\n

For many students, Avicenna offers an alternative to traditional student associations, where many activities involve consuming alcohol. \u201cThis results in a lot of diversity in the association, because anyone who feels at home with us is welcome,\u201d says Bakar.<\/p>\n

Hot pepper challenge<\/h2>

Surinamese Students Abroad (SSA) serves delicious sandwiches while trying to recruit new members. Trisha Niddha (26, Master\u2019s in Economics & Business\/Marketing) explains: \u201cWe try to help Surinamese students studying in the Netherlands to settle in here in a variety of ways. For example, we hold workshops and we offer them a network.\u201d<\/p>\n

The high point of the International Food Fair is the SSA-inspired \u2018hot pepper challenge\u2019. Ten students eat the Surinamese Madame Jeanette, one of the hottest chili peppers around. After eating the pepper, the contestant who waits the longest before drinking milk wins an SSA hoodie.<\/p>\n

For the waffles<\/h2>

Three rounds later, student after student, with perspiring upper lips and watery eyes, have pulled out of the contest, much to the amusement of the cheering onlookers. Five courageous students ultimately win the challenge after eating four peppers and are given a well-deserved carton of milk.<\/p>\n

A group of visitors watch from a distance while eating dishes from all over the world. Jenny Oortwijn (23, Master\u2019s in Marketing Management): \u201cI saw the event on Facebook and basically showed up for the food. But it\u2019s actually a great way to learn about different cultures on campus.\u201d So has she joined an association? Yes, the Association of Students of African Heritage. \u201cPartly because of the free waffles, but also because I had a really interesting conversation,\u201d says Oortwijn.<\/p>\n

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De redactie<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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