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The Cultural Rhythms Food Festival, organized by the Harvard Foundation, brought together Harvard community members from all backgrounds through food from myriad cultures on April 4. With 20 student groups representing their cultural dishes and over 400 attendees, the Food Festival served as a precursor to the main event of the week, the Cultural Rhythms Show & Artist of the Year Conversation.

Celebrating the 39th Annual Cultural Rhythms Festival, attendees gathered on the steps of Memorial Church, tasting the wide array of foods from cultures all over the globe.

“I went to China first, and I got the rice, and then I went to Ghana, and I also got the rice,” Ian Lee ’28 said.

From fried rice served by the Harvard-Radcliffe Chinese Students Association to jollof served by the Harvard Undergraduate Association of Ghanaian Students, students were able to try many different dishes.

“I am excited to eat more of the food in various restaurants and maybe travel to these countries as well,” Lee said.

The Cultural Rhythms Food Festival served as a way to ideologically travel outside of the Harvard bubble through the power of food.

“Every year it’s always super great to be a part of it, to see all the different cultures come together and just celebrate our ethnic and racial identity on this campus,” said Marina Gonzalez ’27, a student worker at the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations.

The Food Festival served as a way for participants to become acquainted with organizations and foods that they were not previously familiar with, expanding their horizons and electrifying their taste buds.

“It’s been awesome. It’s so many different cultures and communities and so many clubs that I haven't even heard of that I was able to try food from their culture,” said Maame Forson ’25, co-founder and current Inclusivity Chair of the Harvard Association of Ghanaian Students.

“It’s very nice being in such a diverse community,” she said.

Spanning from China to the Dominican Republic to Ethiopia, attendees were transported around the globe through the appreciation of cultural foods.

“I thought it was so cool to see a lot of cultures being represented and people sharing their food and learning about other foods, that was really cool,” said Naomi Mulugeta ’25, the Vice President of the Harvard Eritrean and Ethiopian Students Association.

The Cultural Rhythms Food Festival allowed the Harvard community to learn about other cultures through their culinary traditions and staple foods.

“It was such a cool experience. There were so many people coming up to us and being like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’ve never seen this before.’ People being like, ‘Oh, is this injera?,’” Mulugeta said.

Injera is a sourdough pancake-like flatbread that is common in Ethiopia and Eritrea.

“I think the best part of the event was definitely how fast the food ran out, seeing everyone so excited to try some Dominican food, and also being able to share our culture with other people,” said Leandra Bautista ’28, Freshman Representative of Harvard Undergraduate Dominican Student Association.

The majority of the food from the student organizations’ tables was quickly consumed by visitors, examples of which include moro de guandules (a dish with rice and pigeon peas), plátanos maduros (sweet fried plantains), and carne guisada (beef stew).

“It was really nice to see the community come together, have some food, and exchange cultures,” said Feker Chane ’27, Special Events Coordinator of The Harvard Eritrean and Ethiopian Students Association.

The Food Festival was an exciting and sensory experience for members of the Harvard community, allowing them to actively engage with the food of a diverse array of cultures.