With Sussex having staff and students coming from more than 140 countries, there is no better option for bringing local and international students together than through food! One of the highlight events of the Freshers’ Week was the international food party, which offered a place to share your own culture with others, while meeting people from all over the world.
One World Sussex: International Food Party, run collaboratively by the Students’ Union and different country-based societies, was held successfully on Monday September 23, in Mandela Hall. The event was a great opportunity to bring students old and new together to explore and taste the cuisines of different parts of the world.
The president of the Students’ Union, Filip Vasilijevic said “It is a great success that the party brought a lot of new people and cultures together. One particular thing I love seeing is people who don’t know each other making friends and socialising already. They become friends on Facebook and Instagram and arrange to do stuff tomorrow and that is exactly what this event aims to achieve- bringing people together from different cultures through food.”
From Japanese curry to Italian pizza, the international food party was definitely showcasing some delicious food. There were a lot of cuisines rarely seen in the UK, one being that of Russia with the Pelmeni which is considered to be at the heart of their cuisine, according to the president of the Russian Society who prepared the food. The dish, which consists of the savoury taste of minced meat complemented by sweet vegetable, is wrapped and served as a dumpling. This is a combo that shouldn’t be missed and, the best part is- you can buy them pre-made at a supermarket! Perfectly convenient for your student lifestyle.
Another interesting cuisine was the Goulash from Hungary, an age-old soup consisting of slow-cooked meat, vegetables and seasoned with paprika and other spices. Not only was this dish delicious but it’s also an easy one to make and for that reason should definitely be on your must-try recipe list!
Many of the attendees enjoyed the food and gathered in groups to chat. One postgraduate student from Chile said he got chance to try cuisines he had never tasted before and that it was a great place to find out about different cultures and meet new people.
Despite the wide range of food on offer, the event was so well attended that it was no surprise that it became in short supply. Many stalls ran out of food within an hour of the party starting. There was a general sense of surprise at the amount of people who turned up from the union staff who, perhaps now will plan for more food to be produced next time, for the event which went on for three hours.
This gathering seemed even more poignant in light of the uncertainty that Brexit presents to the relationship that Britain has with the world at large. Because of this turmoil and as a result of the referenda last term the Students Union introduced the prospect of having an international students’ officer for appointment in 2020.
With no one knowing exactly what is going to happen at the end of the month, Filip said it was important to have a cohesive unity in the university, adding: “The party is very important as it helps people to realise cultural differences and how food is something very inclusive.”
Whether you are a student from the UK, the European Union or farther afield, the party was one event on the calendar for the One World Sussex org a great success to unify and bring students together to appreciate different cultures and expand their social circle at the start of the school year
