Finding foreign food
If people cook with weird recipes, it can be hard enough trying to swallow food at their house. Then imagine trying to devour food from another country – not just for one meal, but for an entire school year or longer.
International students attending USU can expect to experience a variety of changes when they come to America, one of them being a new diet.
Halima Ali, who works at Nutrition and Ethnic Foods, said students come in her store to buy all kinds of spices and ingredients so they can make meals that taste like home.
Ali, who opened the store about two years ago, is from Somalia and has lived in the United States for 18 years. She said it’s hard for foreigners to find ethnic food in Logan. The walls of her store are lined with all different kinds of spices, and she carries ingredients for Chinese, Thai, Filipino, Middle Eastern, African and some European food. She even carries halal meat, all different kinds of tea and nutritional supplements.
She will show customers around and help them find exactly what they are looking for, and some Saturdays she even prepares meals for customers to try. And if students need help knowing how to cook something, Ali said she has recipes they can use.
“But most foreigners know how to cook their own food,” Ali said.
Another ethnic food store in Logan is La Familia, which orders in and sells authentic Mexican food. Inca Kola and juices of all kinds are stocked on the shelves along with fresh fruits and vegetables. Customers can walk in the store, watch the Spanish channel, sit down for a while and eat authentic burritos and other Mexican food.
“Everything is fresh,” said Jose Guadarrama, one of the store owners. “We order in everything twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”
Guadarrama said he can also help students with recipes, and anyone who comes in with a group of eight or more can learn how to make real authentic Mexican food as long as they schedule it ahead of time.
Guadarrama said La Familia has only been open for eight months, and he mostly sees families in the valley come in. He said he’s not sure if a lot of students know about the store, but if they are looking for Mexican food, it is the place to go.
Close to campus is the Indian Oven, which is actually inside a Sinclair gas station. The owner, Sham Singh, runs the station and the restaurant with his family, who help lots of students and families. One side of the convenience store is lined with spices and teas and well as juices like mango juice. Singh said he sees people of all different backgrounds come in, and often they are Chinese, Japanese or Korean.
“They like spices too,” he said. “And we have all kinds of curry.”
The Indian Oven recently participated in Spice On Ice, where it won “Chef of the Year” and “People’s Choice” restaurant in the valley.
“Nobody has ever won both,” Singh said.
He added he can help people with recipes, and his wife Nancy said, “Anytime you need help, just tell us.”
Other restaurants in the valley might not be as authentic, but still have an ethnic taste. There are several Mexican and Chinese restaurants in Logan.
Kelly Hui, who works at Formosa Restaurant, said she sees a lot of students come in to eat the restaurant’s Chinese food. Hui is from Hong Kong and said although she is able to find really authentic food in Salt Lake City, it’s hard to find it in Logan.
Many restaurants that serve food from different countries are Americanized, said Yeonmi Kim, who works at Kyoto Sushi in Logan. She said none of the employees that work at the Japanese restaurant are actually Japanese. And although their food is good, she called it “fusion Japanese” because it has an American taste to it. So even if Japanese students want to eat something familiar, it still may taste a little different.
It’s hard to find ethnic restaurants that serve authentic meals, Kim said, especially in Logan.
However, even though it’s not completely Japanese, Kim said Kyoto Sushi has really good grilled entrees, noodles and teriyaki. All the tables are set with chopsticks, and the restaurant still has a Japanese feel.
There may be no place that is exactly like home to eat, but at least students have some options.
-mnewbold@cc.usu.edu