As clouds roll in overhead, a cool but gentle wind races across Campus Green. Though the weather is unsettled, the spirits of the several dozen students lined up on the green remain high. What could compel this many students to willingly trek across campus on a breezy Friday afternoon? Great food, of course.

The growing crowd settled around the many tables dotting the lawn as members of the Asian Student Alliance (ASA) put the finishing touches on the Taste of Asia event setup. Similar to events hosted by other alliances like Taste of Africa, ASA’s Taste of Asia event aimed to introduce the wider DU community to a delicious aspect of cultures from across the Asian continent. 

ASA president Suhyun Goh spoke of her hopes for the outcome of the event.

“I want a variety of people to get a better understanding of what food is enjoyed [in Asia] and understand that it’s not just the typical few they might know,” Goh said. “Basically, I want to have more representation.”

In years past, ASA has not been able to bring in as much variety in the menu as the alliance would have liked. This year, there was a heavy emphasis on representing the culture and cuisine of a wide range of Asian cultures. 

“This time we were able to also get some South Asian food, which we were really excited about,” said Goh. “We wanted to make sure that we got a variety of food because we want to represent all of Asia. It’s Taste of Asia, not Taste of East Asia.”

The event did, of course, feature plenty of East Asian cuisine, from Chinese Lo Mein to Japanese Red Bean Buns. This year, however, the spread also featured a diverse selection of South Asian Pacific Island dishes such as Vietnamese Banh Mi, Indian Gulab Jamun, Filipino Lumpia, Thai Pad See Ew and Hawaiian Spam Musubi. 

With a menu like this, it’s no wonder the attending crowds could not wait to grab a plate. As soon as Goh announced that the event was officially open, the event attendees quickly swarmed the tables. Though the scene appeared chaotic, ASA managed to maintain a degree of order as the food was served. 

Guests could keep track of their culinary travels at the event by using one of the “passports” handed out at the front of the event. These cards featured blank circles organized by region and labeled with names of certain Asian countries. They could be stamped at each of the food stations to keep track of what dishes one had sampled.

Putting together an event like this is no small task. ASA Treasurer Catalina Palacios described how the alliance had to dig deep to provide quality food from diverse cultures at the event. 

“There’s just not a lot of Asian diversity within Denver,” she said. “We had to talk to some people in the community that have already graduated, that way they are out of the DU bubble … We tried to be really grounded in the community and support local businesses that don’t typically get that support.”

ASA’s hard work and community building certainly paid off. Students of all years and backgrounds came out in full force for this celebration of Asian culture. Goh hoped to bring the DU community together and foster recognition of a range of Asian cultures. With guests of all kinds gathered around the same tables enjoying local Asian food, it is safe to say that ASA’s vision had been realized. 

For more information about ASA and upcoming events, check out the alliance’s Crimson Connect and Instagram pages.