Richmond's Study Abroad Students Experience Foods of the World

15/01/2009

Foods of the World are a Big Hit!

As part of Orientation Week the food service at Richmond put on a food tasting for the new students at the Kensington Campus. The, mainly American, students were introduced to various food from around the world, to enable them to sample various tastes and dishes that they would not normally see at home but would commonly find in Britain and Europe.

Chris Hutton, the catering General Manager said

“The students have a worldwide cultural experience in the classroom at Richmond and I felt that we should extend this into the residential experience.

I have chosen dishes from India, Thailand, the Mediterranean and the U.K. to highlight the wide range of foods that we offer in the dining room and to allow the students to taste new things in an environment where the dishes can be explained to them – no more will a student confuse taramosalata with strawberry mouse or be too uncertain to eat a curry!”

This is the third semester that the tasting has been organized and it has proved to be a hit. The students learn to experiment with new foods and feel comfortable discussing their likes and dislikes with the chefs and catering staff. As one student commented – “That was awesome! I’m trying stuff that I would have never tried before!”

The following foods were available, with their tasting notes:

Stilton Cheese
A blue vein cheese from Derbyshire, England
Made from cows milk and allowed to grow mould!
Strong ,Creamy Texture

Samousa
A light filo pastry wrapped around either vegetables or meat.
North African dish

Madras
A fairly hot curry sauce red in colour.
The chilli is used for heat

Thai Green Curry
Made with coconut milk mild green curry paste and lime leaves.
Delicate and aromatic

Falafel
Deep fried chic peas and mild spices.
Eaten with tzatziki

Tzatziki
A yoghurt dip made with lemon, cucumber and mint

Taramosalata
Cured roe of salmon and carp. Eaten in Mediterranean countries

Olives
Various types of olives, the flavours change dramatically between varieties

Sun Dried Tomatoes
Often used in cooking and salads for their strong flavour and sweetness

Smoked Mackerel
Traditional fish dish found on breakfast bars in Scandinavia.
Served cold

Feta Cheese
A traditional goats cheese from Greece.
Often used in salads
Creamy and crumbly

Apple Wood Smoked Cheese
A semi-hard cheese
Mild light-smoke flavour

Port Salut
A soft cow’s milk cheese from Brittany, France
Mild and soft

Bread And Butter Pudding
A traditional British dessert made from bread that has been buttered and soaked in milk and eggs and then cooked
Like a soggy french toast!

Rice Pudding
Served With Jam (or Jelly) and Sugar.

Naan Bread
An Indian bread similar to Pitta Bread but a little softer and often flavoured with herbs and spices

Pitta Bread
Flat, unleavened bread from The Mediterranean

Shepherds Pie
A traditional English lamb dish cooked with tomatoes and onions and mashed potato on top

Link to this page: http://www.richmond.ac.uk/n/673.aspx