The Moscow Chinese Food Club is bringing fresh, home-style Chinese cuisine to the Palouse.
Since December 2014, the University of Idaho Confucius Institute has worked in collaboration with South China University of Technology to host three Chinese food workshops per semester. The next demonstration is 5:30 p.m. Friday at the 1912 Center.
Hexian Xue, UI Confucius Institute co-director, said both universities are able to learn about each other’s cultures through faculty, staff and student collaboration.
The main goal of the program is to serve not only UI students, but the Moscow community as well, Xue said.
She said the club focuses on three criteria when providing nutritious and enriching meals.
First, participants receive a brief Chinese language lesson to learn how to pronounce and write the ingredients of the meal, Xue said.
Participants then taste and enjoy the food for free.
Finally, they learn how to recreate it in their own homes, she said.
“Hosting the event on a Friday night is ideal because family and friends are able to have a fun and relaxing type of reunion,” Xue said. “It isn’t easy to have access to home-style Chinese food in the Moscow community, and food is one of the key elements of every culture.”
Xue said the unique Chengdu hotpot — which originated in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan — will be the main course for Friday’s workshop.
Hot pot refers to spicy and regular simmering soup stock options that different ingredients are dipped into, perfect for the colder seasons, she said.
Mikayla Frey, UI Confucius Institute administrative coordinator, said a hot pot is similar to fondue, but instead of a cheese dish, it is more of a broth.
She said common foods dipped in the pot include a variety of meats and vegetables, making the meal customizable for anyone.
The club focuses on eight different regions of China with every meeting representing a different area and type of cuisine, Frey said.
The demonstrations are done by four main instructors, who are often completing their master’s program practicum before going back to China, she said.
“One of my favorite things about the club is that the food is really, really good,” Frey said. “Also, attending is a great way to learn about Chinese language and culture in a tangible way. It is really fun to see little kids, who have learned basics of Chinese through our schooling programs, help teach their parents what different things mean.”
Frey said a waitlist is now in place because attendance has been exceptional, with a cap of 40 people. It is important to send an RVSP email to [email protected] before the event, if interested. The next workshop, after Friday, will be Nov. 16.
Allison Spain can be reached at [email protected]