Gators filled their growling stomachs with buttered chicken and spring rolls in the Florida Gymnasium on Tuesday night.
About 750 students tasted foods from 10 different Asian countries — from Malaysia to Thailand — to celebrate Asian Kaleidoscope Month, where AKM held its annual food festival, said event director Calvin Lu, 20.
UF behavioral and cognitive neuroscience freshman and Asian-American Student Union service chair Lauren Vu said she enjoyed the event.
"When people think ‘Asian,’ they think ‘Chinese’ or ‘Japanese,’" the 18-year-old said. "They really don’t think about Bangladesh or India, so I’m really glad to see a multitude of different cultures."
This year, the Asian-American Student Union brought more Asian organizations on campus to participate in the event. Clubs representing each country were responsible for bringing food and organizing activities. Event director Derek Vinluan, 21, said AKM invites all people to learn about Asian culture, even if they’re not affiliated with it.
"Food is a big part of Asian culture, and to be able to showcase that — and through cultural activities — it raises awareness about Asian countries’ cultures," the UF construction management senior said.
The event also featured a food-eating contest and performances by students, Lu said.
"You get to experience so many different ethnic groups come together in one location and enjoy food together," the UF chemical engineering junior said. "It’s a really nice intersectionality between the greater UF community."
(From left) Kevin Sardja, a 21-year-old UF finance junior; Rebekah Kim, a 19-year-old UF physics sophomore and Candice Luc, a 19-year-old UF civil engineering sophomore, divide rice onto the plates students would use to carry food at Asian Kaleidoscope Month’s 23rd annual Food Festival.
