Photo gallery: First ‘Taste of Asia’ event well-attended

A new event hosted by the Asian American Student Association (AASA) attracted about 50 students, faculty and community members Thursday night.

“Taste of Asia” featured food from five different countries: Japan, China, Vietnam, Thailand and Korea. AASA members said this kick-off event was held to teach others about Asian culture and recruit more students into the organization.

“It was very difficult to come to a school with such a small Asian population,” said Maddie Vang, a senior and AASA co-president. “I wanted to meet more Asian people that understood my culture.”

Senior Xuyen Nguyen, AASA’s other co-president, said she joined the organization her sophomore year.

“(I joined) to find a place I felt like I belonged, and since AASA is such a small organization, I felt like I could play a bigger role in it,” she said.

Other events held by AASA include Diwali, Lunar New Year and International Education Week.

One of the many authentic Asian foods available at tonight’s event was a Vietnamese dessert consisting of jelly, coconut milk and beans.

“The dessert was really interesting,” said Addie Kaster, a sophomore that attended the event. “I am surprised the beans were my favorite part.”

Correction: In an earlier version of the story, Asian American Student Association was written incorrectly. The Volante regrets the error.