FIPDes programme is a journey about food engineering that immerse you in the different countries where its students come from. One amazing day where you can feel this at the top is the international lunch day. Each student brings a traditional dish from their country so everyone can taste a little bit how it feels to be at their home.
From the fine spiciness of the dishes from Thailand, Ghana, and India like the gaeng keow waan, the jollof rice with fried chicken, the palak paneer, the pav bhaji and bread rolls puttu to the delicate sweet taste of the crepes and madeleines from the France cuisine.

I must admit I had doubts about being still hungry after eating a tiny piece of each dish, but at the end, everyone was full and excited about the gastronomical tour. There were more than 24 dishes to taste from savoury, like Biryani with Zeera Raita (Pakistan), Kebabs (Pakistan), Cachapas (Venezuela), Plov (Kazakhstan) or Lok Lak Stir Fried Beef (Cambodia), to sweet deserts like Brigadeiro (Brazil), Glorias and Obleas de cajeta (Mexico) or Mazamorra morada (Peru), that made us travel around the world in less than one hour and a half. We even had some dishes as entries like Guacamole with totopos (México), Hummus with pita bread (Lebanon), Tzatziki (Greece), Tyrokayteri with Paximadi (Greece) and some special drinks like Guaraná (Brazil) and Rakia (Serbia).
When you share your traditional food with others you do not share only some mixed and cooked ingredients. You share the rites and traditions of your culture, the family histories behind the recipe, and the flavours that you enjoy the most. It’s a great experience that help us bond and get closer to each other.
As the pandemic situation is still a concern, I consider us lucky that we could manage to have the international lunch during our first semester. It was a wonderful experience that all of us cherish in our hearts!