An Ohio University alumna talks about the inaccurate labeling of ethnic food in the dining halls.
During my time as a student, I appreciated that dining hall food was always a step away from my residence hall. I’ve lived on campus for all three years of my college experience. Shively and Nelson, in particular, were my go-to places.
However, there’s something that needs to be addressed.
You see, my friend shared a photo of what Culinary Services described to be “Korean Chicken Bibimbap.” Upon further observation, no way is this bibimbap: a rice bowl with vegetables, beef, sesame oil and red pepper paste called gochujang.
In this photo, was a wok with chicken and peppers. No where close to what bibimbap is.
There was a false representation of Korean cuisine in the dining hall that needed to be fixed. Not just the dish, but the inaccurate portrayal of our ethnic food and others. The inaccurate representation of our culture with careless labels.
Let me explain: simply labeling a dish Korean, Chinese, Mexican or anything else does not make the dish ethnic. To some, this is a non-issue, but to some of us who have grown up eating ethnic food and sharing fond memories of sitting around the dinner table with family members while enjoying a bowl of bibimbap, this was a slap to the face.
This, was a rather poor and insensitive misrepresentation of what our cultural food is.
We understand, there are many mouths to feed on campus. Culinary Services probably has limitations on what they’re able to make and serve to our students and faculty; however, I’m disappointed that this label appeared on something that was completely inaccurate of a popular Korean dish.
It gave off the perception that simply putting an “exotic” country in a dish’s name, the food would automatically be considered ethnic. What was the purpose of identifying this dish as Korean or Chinese, especially if it’s completely inaccurate? Is it supposed to be trendy? Is it supposed to pique the interest of students simply because it’s “exotic”?
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I’m simply asking Culinary Services to reconsider the labeling of certain dishes “ethnic” unless careful research of cultural dishes is further demonstrated and that there isn’t just a willy-nilly label attached to something that isn’t even close to what the dish is claimed to be.
That’s a food for thought.
Hannah Yang is a 2014 Ohio University alumna and was a former staff writer for The Post.
