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Taste of Japan and Korea brings culture to Bon
by Michael FollandTo get students excited about tomorrow's International Fair, which will include a brunch made by 200 international students from 50 different countries, the Bon cooked several cultural dinners this week including a Japanese and Korean dinner on Mar. 3.
The line of anxiously waiting students wrapped around the tray table, which was decorated with Japanese traditional umbrellas, fans, and colorfully decorated norens. Students' mouths watered at the smell of Asian food.
Most students seemed excited to try something new, like the guchal pan— meat, mushrooms, carrots, sesame seeds, and a special sauce all wrapped up.
Lindsay Rock said, "It's very educational. There are all types of food here that I've never seen before." An enthusiastic and appreciative Geoff Halber added, "It's the most culturally diverse meal I've had this year and I am extremely grateful for the Bon's efforts."
Although most people were satisfied with the dinner, Japanese exchange students were able to point out the differences between the Bon's attempt at Japanese food and authentically cooked Japanese food. Masashi Shimoda said that pork is usually used in tonkatsu instead of chicken and vinegar is added to the sticky rice for sushi. He said, "Mom's miso soup is better."
Mikiko Tsuji and Ryoko Pomita, who helped advise the Bon chefs on how to make the miso soup, said that they did a pretty good job. Pomita said, "The chicken is pretty good, but pork is more popular." Fortunately, the sauce for the chicken, called bulldog or ooster sauce, was the same kind they use in Japan. Mike McUne was particularly excited about the tonkatsu and said, "The chicken and rice were so good, I wanted to bathe in it!"
Yumiko Shimabukuro, from Okinawa, said that the indica rice, from southeast Asia, and the japonica rice, from Japan, did not go well together. Chris Mayer was unhappy with the undercooked rice and said, "The rice is a bit crunchy, and I don't like crunchy rice. But, other than that, it's pretty good."
The nori rolls, which had sticky rice, zucchini, daikon— a Japanese radish, red and green peppers, and avocado wrapped in seaweed were tasty, but lacked any sushi. Pomita said it was unusual to have avocado in the nori roll. The mound of play-doh looking, hot, green wasabi fooled some students into using too much on their nori rolls. Erik Knight said he was unable to taste the nori roll because the wasabi burned his mouth.
The green tea ice cream was quickly consumed by students. Shimabukuro said, "The ice cream is awesome. It's very oishii [delicious]." Ian Townley was less impressed with the new ice cream and said, "It was like ice cream trying to be a vegetable. It leaves a nasty aftertaste." The green tea ice cream and wasabi looked exactly the same on an ice cream cone and hopefully did not trick any students.
Tomorrow in Stamm Dining Room, between 11:30 am and 1:30 pm, different dishes from 50 different countries will be prepared for everyone's cultural and eating enjoyment.
