February’s Cultural Cuisine Night — spearheaded by ISSO, OASIS, and Dining Services — was an amazing end to what could be described as a very frosty winter, and bringing vibrancy to what looks like a warm Spring.
This month’s theme was Afro-Caribbean Night, highlighting the diverse heritage of many Central and West African countries, along with educating guests about “Carnival” — one of the most significant cultural expressions in the Caribbean, which serves as both a joyous festival and a powerful symbol of resistance and liberation. Rooted in African masquerade traditions and European pre-Lenten festivities, Carnival has grown into an annual celebration that unites communities through elaborate costumes, rhythmic music, and spirited dance, embodying the enduring spirit of Afro-Caribbean identity.
Linda Kuku, a senior broadcasting major at UNL, said it was nice to have representation of the celebration.
“My Brazilian friend was just really excited about it [Carnival] coming up, so it was cool to actually see something on campus to celebrate and bring the memories back a bit.”
Accompanied by the festivities was the food, with menu items including Trinidadian Goat Curry, Snapper Escovitch, Jerk Chicken, Braised Pork Belly, Vegetarian Collard Greens, Jamaican Baked Beans, Joumou Soup, Sweet & Spicy Caribbean Sweet Potato, Rice with Peas, and Cuban Pork Sandwiches.
Fun and fruity mocktails included creamy Pina Coladas and tart and refreshing Bahama Mamas, as well as agave lemonade.
The Trinidadian Goat Curry seemed to win the votes for best dish.
“My favorite dish was the Trinidadian Goat Curry,” said Ashley Martinez, a first-year Econometrics and Quantitative Economics major from Honduras. “It was awesome, and the sauce was really good and enriched the flavor perfectly.”
Mohamed Komi, a graduate of UNL with a degree in Advertising and Public Relations from Sudan, seconded the goat curry praise, saying, “The curry was my favorite because there’s a lot of soups and curries in Sudan, and you eat them with almost everything so that really hits home for me.”
Komi also provided the artwork for the event, wanting to show more African representation through art.
“I realized that I didn’t see a lot of art representing Black people and African art unless I went looking for it,” Komi said. “What I want to share with my art is exposure to environments that might not see us as beautiful as we are, and I like that people are responding well to it.”
Kuku, also from Sudan, said she was really happy to see an event like this on campus.
“I feel like there’s a lot of empty space where we could be filling it with a lot of culture, so I really appreciate this, especially with Carnival happening,” she said. “Just eating good food, because you know they don’t got food like this normally! I’m gonna take advantage. I’m gonna sit here for like two hours!”
Diego Espinoza, a junior Mechanical Engineering major from Jalisco, Mexico, said that although there are some differences, there are a lot of similarities between his country’s food and the Afro-Caribbean food served.
“Everything is served with a sauce,” he said. “There’s always an accompaniment. I had the jerk chicken with the rice, and I just had to put some nice sauce on the side and it was so good.”
Sabrina Figuereo, a sophomore International Business Major from the Dominican Republic, was most excited about the “good seasonings.”
“The herbs, spices, the mix of vegetables is what I was looking forward to the most. Not to sound mean, but usually food here can taste oily and bland, so I was excited to taste more of that home-y flavor, without having to wash dishes.”
The food that tasted the most familiar to her and the Dominican Republic was the Chicharrón, or “fried pork belly” in English, along with the jerk chicken.
Paige Knebel, the Chef de Cuisine of Culinary Development at UNL, said the inspiration behind the event was to offer an opportunity for all students, staff, faculty, and anybody who wants to come in and try a new cuisine.
“We really want it to be focused on flavors and experiences and expanding your palate within different opportunities for trying new foods,” the chef explained. “It’s also for people who are familiar with this food in their own way, and it’s familiar to their home country’s food. If not the exact same, it’s familiar, and we wanted to bring a piece of home to them.”
Lena Kuku, a first-year sociology major from Sudan, said that the UNL community needed this event.
“I haven't seen a lot of things like this happening on campus and I think it’s really cool that something similar to this is happening,” she said. “Especially with what’s going on in the world right now. It gives a show of diversity that is what UNL has been representing for me at least, in the past and hopefully the future.”
Mer Tuach, a third-year sociology major, said that Cultural Cuisine Nights should be put on more often.
“A lot of times, my friends get homesick and this could remind them of home tasting this type of food and I think it’s really good,” she said. “UNL should do it more.”
The PANgea Steel Drum Band — an entity of Lincoln Public Schools ranging from 6th to 12th grade — performed the steel drums and put on an entertaining show for guests after enjoying the food. The percussionists aim to provide educational performing opportunities at their various Spring events.
Aside from the music, dancing, and delicious food — guests were able to draw on a “Community Canvas,” where markers were available for people to share their expression through art with everyone at the event.
Wahadi Allen, the Executive Chef at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, thanked everyone for being supportive of the event.
“Thanks for giving us an opportunity to share our voice, our culture, and everything with you guys.”
If you enjoyed this month’s Cultural Cuisine Night: Afro-Caribbean theme, join us in April for the final event of the semester to experience the warmth and hospitality of Mediterranean cuisine, featuring flavorful dishes that mark the joyous conclusion of Ramadan!