Nine student clubs at BYU–Hawaii celebrated this year’s food fest virtually by sharing recipes and demonstrating how to prepare their countries’ foods through video. BYUH Student Leadership & Service and the Media Production Team filmed the videos, which were published on the BYU–Hawaii YouTube channel in the Fall 2020 Semester.
Terrell Wu, a sophomore from Malaysia majoring in communications, represented the Singapore and Malaysia Club. He shared, “I felt very lucky to be able to present as Uncle Terrell for our traditional and cultural food from Singapore and Malaysia.”
The Singapore and Malaysia Club presented their red sauce fried fish and chicken buttermilk recipes for others to learn and try. “I am very happy to see the result of the production on YouTube. It makes me want to do more videos if I have the chance in the future,” stated Wu.
Micah Maslar, a junior from the Philippines majoring in elementary education, represented the Philippines chapter which showcased banana lumpia, a traditional snack in the country.
She said, “I am happy I was able to share our culture, food and experience with the school through a virtual cooking session.” She also added she was disappointed because she wanted to interact with students and spend more time sharing her culture.
Wu agreed and said he missed sharing the food they made like previous food fests, and he missed meeting students and seeing their reaction to tasting the food.
“Even though it was virtual, we hope you enjoyed our club’s cooking show and please consider joining the Singapore-Malaysia club in BYUH. We have lots of activities and we embrace the culture and traditions that we have in our countries. Don’t forget to try out our recipes as well,” Wu said.
Maslar shared, “The timeframe given was ten minutes, and we were saddened because we wanted to share more and show more but we are happy with the turnout.” She stated she was also able to exercise her communication skills through the virtual event.
Maslar said she really enjoyed the virtual food feast despite not seeing students physically. “I really enjoyed learning about other cultures’ food and the background of it.”
Wu stated he enjoyed being able to help showcase his friends’ talent in cooking but he was also very nervous. “I have never acted on camera before as well as presenting food at all. But this did give me the chance to explore myself and try to become more confident on camera,” Wu said.
Maslar shared, “I was very nervous, and Mark [Maslar] and I would rehearse about five times before the set event.”
Maslar stated as they rehearsed multiple times, she felt confident and no longer felt nervous. “I’ve never had this kind of experience where I share a dish in front of many students. But I really enjoyed it, especially with the support of the staff and with our club.”
Theresa Talamaivao, a sophomore from Samoa majoring in social science education, represented the Makaala Human Rights Club, which made koko rice.
Talamaivao stated she felt nervous and scared she would forget what to say so she practiced in her room several times. “Even after practicing, I still forgot what to say during the shoot, but the crew and my partner helped me get through,” she said.
“I did my best and am happy about it. After the Food Fest shoot, I learned a great lesson from it, and it takes courage to overcome fears,” she said. She stated she is grateful for the opportunity to share and represent the Maka'ala Human Rights Club.
Maslar shared, “I’m grateful for the opportunity to be one of the hosts for our chapter. I am truly grateful for all the staff and production team who made this activity possible. And all the effort they’ve done through editing and uplifting us whenever we feel nervous.”
Maslar said, “Go ahead and try all the dishes the clubs presented so you will also experience the joy and the delicious taste of these magnificent diverse dishes that our school provided.”
Talamaivao shared, “Food Fest was a life-changing experience. It was my first time to be on a cooking show, and it was such a memorable experience.”
Talamaivao encouraged students to take opportunities to learn and experience new things and to make sure to watch all the club videos on the BYUH YouTube channel.
The Melanesian Club demonstrated how to make palau. The Taiwan Club made their traditional noodles and bubble drink. The China Club explained how to make braised prawns. The Mongolian Club demonstrated Mongolian barbecue and homemade yogurt. The Hawaii Club prepared laulau for their video and the India Club demonstrated how to make butter chicken.
See the Food Fest cooking show videos on BYU–Hawaii's YouTube channel here.