By Karlayne Powell, News Correspondent

Have you ever eaten Balute or Morsillas? You might’ve never heard of these international dishes, but someone sitting next to you in class has. Northeastern currently has more than 4,000 international students representing 128 countries across the globe. Food is a tremendous part of culture and the various ingredients used in multicultural dishes can resemble a country’s heritage, idiosyncrasies and even wealth.

In Asian cuisine, “we use a lot of salt, spices, soy sauce  and sugar,” said Colin Sakamoto, a freshman civil engineering student of Japanese descent. Sakamoto, whose favorite dish is spicy tuna sushi, loves pizza but prefers “authentic” Japanese food.

Sara-Kay Logan, program coordinator of the Caribbean Student Organization (CSO) who is of Jamaican descent, identifies that the key element to Caribbean cuisine is spices.

“Caribbean’s use a lot of seasoning, mainly different spices like thai, scallions, onions, black pepper, jerk seasoning, all spice and thyme,” Logan said.

“We eat rice and lentils too, but my favorite food has to be jerk chicken fresh off the drum pan,” Logan said.

“Fresh off the drum pan” means chicken is marinated for a few days in a sauce of the hottest peppers and spices, with a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg for a hint of sweetness.

When it comes to Latin cuisine, ingredients often include “garlic, cilantro, adobo (seasoning), sofrito (a blend of onions, garlic, peppers, different types of cilantro, a little bit of vinegar, salt and pepper) and bell peppers in almost everything,” said Rebecca Veira, the assistant director of the Latino/a Student Cultural Center (LSCC).

“Rice is a foundation for most dishes in Latin America – it’s just a matter of adding fish, chicken, beans, pork or camarones al ajillo (shrimp),” Rosa Williams, director of LSCC, said. Some other dishes include mangu, a dish from the Dominican Republic comprised of plantains, and bacalao, which is dried and salted cod reconstructed back into water.

“There needs to be more cultural food nights and less Americanized cultural foods.,” sophomore physical therapy student Sophie Veiras said.

Jerk Chicken

Jamaican jerk chicken

1 tablespoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons ground sage
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup white Vinegar
1/2 cup orange juice
1 lime’s juice
1 Scotch bonnet pepper (habanero)
3 Green onions — finely chopped
1 cup onion – finely chopped
4 to 6 chicken breasts

Directions:

1. Trim chicken of fat.
2. In a large bowl, combine the allspice, thyme, cayenne pepper, black pepper, sage, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, garlic powder and sugar.
3. With a wire whisk, slowly add the olive oil, say sauce, vinegar, orange juice, and lime juice.
4. Add the Scotch Bonnet pepper, onion, and mix well.
5. Add the chicken breasts, cover and marinate for at least 1 hour, or longer if possible.
6. Preheat an outdoor grill.
7. Remove the breasts from the marinade and grill for 6 minutes on each side or until fully cooked.
8. While grilling, baste with the marinade. Bring the leftover marinade to a boil and serve on the side for dipping.
Source: Dianaskitchen.com