The International House, or I-House, Hall, organizes themed dinners featuring African cuisine for students throughout the month of black history.
The I-House Spring 2025 cultural meals menu said that themed dinners will focus on specific African cuisine every Wednesday. Over the past two weeks, the themes have surrounded South and West Africa respectively – this week, the kitchen will prepare North Africa dishes, and next week, the Cuisine de lique de l The dining room will be adorned.
“They have made a lot of effort to make a wide variety of food that is aimed at the eating habits of different people, their food restrictions,” said Savita Pereira, resident of the house. “But also introduce them to new foods.”
Abigail Serbins, the executive chief of the house and culinary director, said that the dining room served as food from various kitchens before the pandemic, but stopped practice at the start. Shortly after his arrival, the heads I-House had trouble welcoming African students with a kitchen they knew.
The Serbins quickly established close relations with these students, who expressed their desire for more dishes which reminded them of the house which culminated with Serbins organizing a Jollof rice competition.
Finally, the Serbins began to invite students from other cultures to cooking, signaling them to incorporate dishes from their homeland into the menu.
“I wanted to create something very authentic, to bring back any type of memory or comfort to children here,” said Serbins. “I want to feed them through food. I know how difficult it is to go to Berkeley and just to be far from your family in another country. »»
This week, the Serbins plan to make Koshari, the Egyptian national dish. She said she told students to I-House to provide her with a family recipe that will represent their country and integrate it into the menu.
According to the resident of I-House, Saif Maharmah, diversity and coffee, an event of diversity corresponding to the same theme, takes place every Wednesday alongside themed dinners.
Since African students are not as familiar with black American cuisine as their own kitchens, the Serbins said that it considered thematic dinners during the month of black history as a celebration of the various kitchens of the Africa.
“What I celebrate here is really the whole continent in Africa,” said Serbins.
For many I-House residents, these special event dinners are an immersive way of not only enjoying different culinary experiences, but their later traditions and culture.
According to Kristen Rasmussen, the nutritionist lecturer of a registered dietitian and the director of the Berkeley UC study program abroad, because of the way in which culinary differences can be used to discriminate particular cultures, it is necessary that Young people promote the grateful links in relation to food from cultures of various cultures from cultures of cultures of various cultures from cultures of cultures Cultures of various cultures from cultures of cultures from cultures of cultures of various cultures from cultures of cultures from cultures of various cultures from cultures of various cultures from cultures of various cultures from cultures of various cultures from cultures of various cultures from cultures of cultures of various cultures from cultures of various cultures from cultures of various cultures from cultures of various cultures from cultures of various cultures of various cultures from cultures of cultures of various cultures are necessary.
“It is important to expose young people to a wide variety of kitchens in a respectful way so that we can celebrate, learn and create joy through our culinary differences,” said Rasumessen in an email. “Now, more than ever, we have to create a community through food.”
Roman Trovato contributed to this report.
